It rained last night and that makes the morning a pleasure. It is 25 degrees when I get on the bike and that even feels cool if you compare it to the 30 degrees that are normal in this period in the morning.
I have a long drive of 340 km of mountain roads ahead of me so I leave early because I have no idea what the road conditions are like. To be on the safe side, I have booked a guesthouse this time so that I don't have to look for accommodation at the end of the day.
There is little traffic and because of the rain it is much less dusty than usual. I drive past rice fields with water buffalo, on winding mountain roads and through small authentic villages with beautiful stilt houses. What a pleasure it is to drive here again! The road is paved everywhere, we are making good progress and even with the temperature it is not too bad today. At the end of the afternoon dark clouds threaten above the mountains and when I arrive at my overnight place it starts to rain a bit. Arrived right on time.
The town where I am, Phonsavan, is known for its 'Plain of Jars'. In various places in the region there are collections of giant jars that are probably between 2500 and 3000 years old. The largest is 3 meters high and weighs more than 6000 kilos. According to some researchers, they were sarcophagi for the dead, but they are also said to have been repositories for rice or dried grapes. Local myths claim that they were drinking cups for giants… Anyway, it remains a mystery.
