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Guide&To&

Phonsavan&And&

Xk&province&&

Written'and'designed'by'lbf'students'

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&Our&story..&Our!Foundation!was!set!up!following!the!sudden!death!of!an!inspirational!local!man,!Manophet!!(Lone!Buffalo!),!who!committed!his!whole!life!to!helping!others.!!By!day!he!worked!for!UXO!Lao.!!Every!evening!he!taught!English!in!a!tiny!class!in!his!house.!Manophet!was!also!an!amazingly!knowledgeable!tour!guide.!!In!2006!he!founded!the!school’s!football!team.!!Two!years!later!they!won!the!National!Day!Cup.!!Everyone!who!met!him!was!touched!by!his!dedication,!generosity,!and!stamina.!!

It!was!Manophet’s!dream!to!take!his!beloved!football!team!to!Europe.!!Following!his!sudden!passing,!our!foundation!took!his!football!team!to!Sweden,!the!first!time!a!team!of!Lao!footballers!had!competed!outside!of!Asia.!Their!amazing!journey!is!documented!in!the!movie!On#Safer#Ground!(released!in!2013)!which!will!create!international!interest!in!Laos!and!spotlight!the!issue!of!unexploded!ordinance.!!!The!team!returned!to!Laos!with!the!Gothia!Cup!Fair!Play!Trophy,!a!fitting!tribute!to!Manophet’s!legacy.!

In!late!2011,!a!group!of!Manophet’s!friends!came!together!to!set!up!the!English!Development!Centre.!!Classes!began!in!February!2012,!under!the!supervision!of!Nick!Williamson.!!We!now!teach!four!different!levels!of!English,!from!beginners!to!intermediate.!!

In!July!2012,!we!appointed!a!new!football!coach,!Nouad,!one!of!the!players!who!competed!in!Sweden.!Our!footballers!train!regularly!at!weekends.!!We!also!have!a!small!gym!at!the!centre!for!our!students!and!local!people!to!use.!!

What&is&unique&about&lone&buffalo?&&We!are!much!more!than!an!English!teaching!facility!!We!offer!extra!computer!skills!lessons!and!our!students!have!access!to!the!internet.!We!do!teacher!Ytraining.!We!have!a!film!club!and!are!hoping!for!our!first!film!to!be!shown!at!the!Vientiane!film!Festival.!We!also!run!boys!and!girls!football!teams.!We!not!only!teach!general!English,!we!also!have!local!and!international!contacts!that!can!help!some!of!the!kids!find!jobs!in!hospitality,!tourYguiding,!teaching!and!industry.!

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Why&support&our&foundation?&We!do!not!charge!the!students!for!their!English!lessons.!It!is!the!only!free!English!school!in!the!province.!!!

80%!of!our!students!are!ethnic!H’mong.!

The!ability!to!speak!English!makes!a!massive!difference!to!young!people’s!futures!–!especially!as!Asia!will!become!one!trading!entity!in!2015.!!

As!well!as!English!study,!we!help!encourage!social!skills!and!personal!development!through!our!football!program,!gym!training,!film!study,!and!field!trips!to!local!attractions.!

How&you&can&support&us.&Whilst!our!corporate!teaching!program!contributes!significantly!to!funding!the!community!side!of!things,!neither!it!nor!the!student!donations!cover!all!our!costs.!So!extra!funding!is!always!gratefully!received.!You!can!support!us!in!a!number!of!ways.!

Visit%our%English%Development%Centre.!!We!are!open!from!4:15!until!8:00!pm!Monday!to!Friday.!!The!students!need!the!opportunity!to!converse!with!people!from!different!countries!(with!different!accents!and!language!capability)!to!get!used!to!the!wide!range!of!spoken!English!and!improve!their!listening!skill!as!well!as!their!ability!to!effectively!express!themselves.!

Donate!stationary%or%books.!!Pens,!pencils,!noteYbooks,!marker!pens!or!books!to!read!are!the!most!useful!things!to!bring.!!

Buy!a!nice!Lone!Buffalo!TYshirt.!They!make!good!gifts!too!!

Buy%a!copy!of!our!Lone!Buffalo!guide!to!Xieng!Khouang,!prepared!by!our!students.!!!

If!you!prefer,!you!can!make!a!cash!donation!at!our!English!Development!Centre,!sponsor!a!student!or!set!up!a!standing!order!to!support!us.!!!

Like!us!on!Facebook!and!share!us!with!your!friends!!

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%www.facebook.com/lonebuffalo!www.facebook.com/onsaferground!%

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Guide'Contents''

'5!!!H’mong!New!Year!!(by!Mr!Phoumee)!!6!!!Laos!New!Year!(B!Class)!!!7!!!Plain!of!Jars!–!a!LBF!guide!to!good!behavior!(B!Class)!8!!!Plain!of!Jars!–!General!introduction!9!!!Plain!of!Jars!Site!1!(B!Class)!10!Plain!of!Jars!Sites!2!&!3!11!Phu!Keng!(Plain!of!Jars!Site!22)!(by!‘Jack’)!!12!Information!centres!–!MAG!and!UXO!Survivors!centre.!!13!Ban!Tha!Jok!14!Phonsavan’s!markets!–!and!photo!guide.!!16!Visiting!a!Wat!(Buddhist!temple)!–!LBF!guide!to!good!behavior.!17!Wat!Sunthipath!!18!Mulberries!Organic!Farm!(by!Miss!Bee,!Miss!Boua!and!Miss!Coua)!!19!Phu!Chan!(by!‘Lucky’!Yang!and!Mr!Keo!Ha)!!20!Phu!Deng!(by!Miss!‘chewy’!Coua)!!21!Useful!words!and!phrases!!22!local!maps!

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!!n!!Laos!the!Hmong!New!Year!festival!is!the!longest!!and!most!popular!of!!the!Hmong!!!!holidays.!It!lasts!about!two!weeks!and!is!celebrated!in!December!when!the!moon!is!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!darkest.!On!the!first!day!the!villagers!build!a!sort!of!washingYline,!made!of!bamboo!and!dried!grass.!All!the!villagers!should!run!round!one!pole!three!times!(touching!the!chicken!at!the!top!of!the!pole!for!luck)!then!they!should!run!round!it!the!other!way!two!times.!After!this!one!man!will!swing!the!chicken!round!his!head!many!times.!Then!1!man!will!fire!a!gun!in!the!air,!after!which!the!chicken!is!killed.!This!custom!is!to!get!rid!of!the!bad!spirits!and!so!welcome!in!new!spirits.!There!are!games,!dances!and!plenty!of!food!.Top!spinning!and!stick!and!sword!dances!are!favorite!activities!of!the!boys.!The!Hmong!ballY!toss!game!is!one!of!the!most!colorful!New!Year!activities.!It!is!played!by!older!boys!and!girls!who!are!planning!to!be!married.!The!boys!and!girls!line!up!in!two!rows!facing!each!other,!about!!10!feet!apart.!The!players!throw!a!soft!ball!to!each!other!.The!ball!is!thrown!so!that!the!other!player!can!catch!it!with!one!hand.!If!the!throw!is!good!and!the!other!player!drops!the!ball!he!or!she!has!to!sing!a!traditional!Hmong!song!or!give!up!a!piece!of!silver!or!a!belt!from!his!or!her!costume.!Every!unmarried!girl!tries!to!make!a!new!dress,!especially!for!the!ball!game.!!In!their!spare!moments!from!working!at!home!or!in!the!fields,!the!girls!embroider!special!designs!on!their!costumes.!The!boys!too,!wear!their!best!new!clothes!and!each!player!wears!at!least!one!silver!coin.!!Finally,!during!this!time,!fights!between!buffalos!and!bullY!fights!are!a!very!popular!highlight!of!the!festivities!!! !!!!Phonnga%Village!How!to!get!there!:!!!Hire!a!tukYtuk!or!bike!and!use!the!map.!(15/20!kip)!!! We/! I! can! pick! you! up! in! Phonsavan! town! and! take! you! about! 5! km! to! the! place! where! the! main!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!celebration!is!held!every!year.!You!can!enjoy!the!sights!when!you!are!there!and!get!something!to!!eat!and!drink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The!main!celebrations!last!for!3!days!!During!these!celebrations!you!can!also!see!many!bull!Y!fights!!(bull!against!bull)!!!!!!!!

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Lao New Year Pi Mai Lao Buddhist water festival

Lao New Year is in April. The main celebrations are from 14th – 16th April. There are a lot of interesting things to see. Huge numbers of people drive into town. Many events are organized. There are fireworks and boat -races , as well as water-fight parties.

For example in Ngam Ngam village most houses have barrels of water standing by the road-side , hose-pipes and buckets or water-pistols , all ready to throw water over any passers-by . This is because the tradition is to use scented water to ceremonially wash the bad from the previous year and so start the New Year clean in body and mind. Of course having huge water fights is a relatively recent tradition. Watch out for the pick-up trucks – they’ve usually got water fighters in the back. If you are going to walk around you WILL get wet so carry your wallet/ passport/camera etc in a plastic bag.

You can see the boat racing at Ngam Ngam Lake ( nr LBF) between local village teams. There are four big races over the 3 days and the wooden boats each have a 12-man crew paddling furiously.

The fireworks are on the last day and each temple has its’ own display.

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Information supplied by class B

Visiting a the plain of jars ?

LBF guide to good behavior...

You have to buy a ticket before you enter a Plain of Jars site.

Do not bring weapons or alcohol with you.

You should keep the Plain of Jars clean. Do not throw rubbish on the ground. Never use the jars like bins. Take you trash away with you.

You mustn’t take stone pieces of the jars away with you. Leave them there !

Look after the Jars !

You mustn’t draw pictures on the jars, spray paint them or carve things on them. You mustn’t use a hammer or a stone to deface the jars.

You shouldn’t climb on the jars or stand on them or stand in them.

You shouldn’t lean on them, they might fall over and break.

You shouldn’t light a fire in or near the jars. A jar is not a place for cooking You can damage them.

DO NOT use the jars as a toilet.

Contributors : Miss Chewy ( Coua ), Teng Vue ,Mr ( Lucky ) Lor, Mr Cover, Sam,Jack , Mr Bean , Mr Longman (CLASS B).

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The Plain of Jars Xieng Khuang Province

There are over 80 official sites scattered around the province, with some 20 more

awaiting official recognition. ( A site being defined as a place with at least one Jar.)

The only ones that can be visited are sites 1 , 2 , 3 , 16 , 21 , 23 , 25 and 52. The other

sites have not yet been cleared of UXO and are deemed to be too dangerous to visit.

Sites 1 and 2 are the most popular, having the greatest number of jars and being the

most accessible. Site 52 also has over 300 jars.

The jars were hewn from stone, predominantly sandstone and limestone, although

some are made from conglomerate (site 23 near Ban Nam Hom : approx 17km from

Phonsavan) and some from are made from granite (site 16 at Ban Phai : approx 40km

from Phonsavan) . You can see one of the original quarries if you visit site 23.

They vary in size and weight. They are between 1 and 3 m tall and can weigh up to 13

tons. They are believed to have been made over a period of 300 years and so there

are noticeable differences in design (for example some have rims, others do not.)

They are believed to be approximately 2000 years old (the bones in the clay pots

found under the jars have been carbon- dated.) Current belief is that these jars have

some sort of funerary purpose (the cave at site 1 being a crematorium.) Others have

speculated that, as they are found along old trade routes, they were a source of

potable water. Local tradition states that they were fired at the cave at site 1 ( the

kiln) and used by a local race of giants to make and store loa-lao (rice-wine), and that

the scattered jars are the result of a 6 month celebration after winning an important

battle..

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Plain%of%Jars%site%one

!How!do!I!get!there!?!

You!can!hire!a!motorbike!!(!50Y70,000!kip!p/day!)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You!can!hire!a!bicycle!(20,00!kip!p/day!)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You!can!get!a!tukYtuk!!!!!!!!!(!approx!50,00!kip!one!way!)!

Where!is!it!?!

It’s!about!!7km!out!of!Phonsavan.!!Follow!the!main!road!out!of!town!!(!towards!!the!bus!station!)!and!turn!left!at!the!traffic!lights!by!the!petrol!station!onto!the!airport!road.!Go!past!SOS!school!and!the!market.!After!the!lake!go!straight!on!,!do%not!turn!right!.!Follow!the!road!and!you!will!see!PoJ!signs!(!the!!turn!will!be!on!your!right!)!!Parking!is!free!but!entrance!to!the!site!costs!5,000!kip,!!

What!will!I!see!there!?!

There!are!over!300!jars!at!site!1!made!from!limestone!or!sandstone.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!There!are!many!different!sizes!!!–!the!biggest!is!!!!!!2.5!m!x!2!m.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Some!are!damaged!!!(!!time!and!war!)!!though!many!are!intact.!!!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Only!one!of!the!jars!is!decorated.!!It!has!a!small!human!figure!carved!into!its’!side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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There!is!one!stone!jar!with!a!‘disc’!on!top.!This!is!not!a!lid,!it!was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!put!there!by!the!French!archaeologist!!Colani!!just!to!prove!that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!it!wasn’t!a!lid!!!!She!believed!the!disc!was!some!sort!of!grave!marker.!

There!is!also!a!cave!there!that!they!think!was!used!for!cremation.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!There!are!also!bomb!craters!and!trenches!as!this!was!a!war!zone!during!the!Second!Indochina!!War!.!

Tour%info%by%B%Class%

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Plain of Jars Sites 2 & 3 The turn-off for sites 2 & 3 is 9 km out of town ( 2.5 km past site1 turn-off ) on your right at Ban Lat Huan village. You follow the dirt road, which is being up-graded, for about 5 km until you come to a left turn, which will take you to site 2 and the waterfalls. If you continue straight on, the turn-off for the Russian tank is 1km further on or carry on until you see the signs for site 3. Ban Napia , the spoon village is further on. Entrance fee kip 10,000 at each site.

At site 2, you walk up a dirt road and go left or right up onto small hills to see the 2 locations. Both places are wooded and afford lovely views of the surrounding countryside. In total there are about 50 jars in good to fair condition and quite a few bomb damaged ones. As such, there are a few old craters. They range in size from 1-1.8m. There is a well-preserved disc and, as an indication of age, a jar that has burst

outwards as a tree has grown inside it.

You can walk from site 2 to site 3 if you follow the path leading away from the jars on the right hand hill. The path is marked with the usual white MAG stones. You walk through a forested area before following the spine of the hill down into some paddy fields. The path is undemanding, the views are great and there are a few jars to be seen along the way. The path will lead you to a gate that leads into someone’s backyard. Walk through the yard,

exit the front and turn left .You’ll soon see a sign for site 3

If you’re feeling hungry you can get noodle soup or a snack in the bamboo restaurant next to the ticket office. It’s about a10 minute stroll over a couple of bridges and through a rice field or two before you start to climb up a hill to site 3. It’s not a large site (approx 80x100m) but there is an amazing concentration of jars. They tend to be slightly smaller and less rounded than at site 2.

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If you have time Pu Keng is the new place to visit.

Stay nearby at Lard Ngon village and it is not far from

PhonSaVan (about 14 KM or 30 minutes by motorbike. Some

people believe that Pu Keng is

the place where humans in the

past made the Jars.

On arrival there is a car park

where you can buy tickets (5,000 k) and take a scenic walk by

the river. During the walk up you can see a few Jars.

At Pu Keng there are two caves.

Anyone can go inside the caves if

they want to.

The walk is in the country side and so there are beautiful

views of the surrounding hills, farms, fields etc

Trip advice by Mr: Jack ( class B

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Information Centres!

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The!MAG!centre!is!in!the!middle!of!town!,!opposite!the!internet!café!and!the!Simalay!restaurant.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It!is!open!from!8:00!am!to!8:00!pm!weekdays!and!from!4:00!pm!to!8:00!pm!weekends!

The!centre!provides!information!about!UXO!from!the!bombing!during!the!secret!war,!as!well!as!that!of!the!ground!battles!,!in!an!easily!understandable!format.!This!information!also!covers!the!progress!of!mine!clearance!and!the!

importance!of!MAG’s!role!as!people!are!still!getting!injured!(!or!Killed!)!from!40!yearYold!ordinance.!

There!are!examples!of!different!types!of!UXO!that!have!been!recovered,!on!show.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!They!show!3!films!daily!from!5:00pm!to!8:00pm!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Visitors!can!donate!money!to!this!cause!or!buy!MAG!merchandise.!!______________________________________________________________________________________________!

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The!centre!is!just!2!doors!away!from!MAG!,!next!door!to!a!great!iceYcream!shop,!and!is!open!from!11:00!am!to!8:00pm!!

UXO!Survivors!help!people!with!disabilities!and!injuries!caused!by!UXO!(!as!well!as!those!from!road!and!farming!accidents!)!and!is!heavily!involved!in!prevention!and!so!it!advises!villages!about!the!ever!present!dangers!of!UXO.!

The!newlyYrefurbished!centre!has!a!small!library!of!Secret!War!and!Vietnam!War!books.!It!provides!an!up!to!date!list!of!the!current!injuries!and!or!deaths!from!UXO!.!It!shows!3!films!a!day.!It!sells!a!wide!range!of!locallyYmade!

handicrafts.!You!can!even!get!a!massage!from!a!UXO!survivor.!

MAG

Mines Advisory Group

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Tha Jok Village ( swords to ploughshares ) Shell!Y!casings!used!as!micro!gardens!to!grow!spring!onions!!!!!!!!!!!!or!used!as!barbecue!pits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!or!used!as!pillars!for!rice!stores!and!houses.!!!!

Unexpected!uses!of!the!USA’s!quiet!export!of!metal!to!Laos!in!the!“Secret!War”!

Want!to!see!it!for!yourself!?!!Go!to!Phonsavan!Organic!Market!bus!station!and!look!for!the!local!big!tukYtuk!buses!!Y!show!this!page!and!point!at!your!watch.!Someone!will!guide!you!to!the!right!bus!and!give!you!a!rough!departure!time!!Y!they!are!fairly!regular.!40!minsY!ish!later!you!will!be!dropped!off!somewhere!.!Don’t!panic!–!walk!down!the!nearest!road/path!on!your!right!–!go!!100!metersYish!and!take!a!left!,!walk!up!towards!the!houses!and!voila!!!To!get!back!retrace!your!steps!–!cross!the!road!and!stick!out!your!thumb!!YYY!!actually,!a!slow!wave!with!your!hand!held!low!at!your!side!is!more!effective.!

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The Markets

The Old Market Situated!behind!the!Post!Office!and!Lao!Tel!,!and!surrounded!on!all!four!sides!by!a!variety!of!shops!,!this!oldYstyle!covered!market!has!the!lot.!EatYin!food!stalls!selling!noodleYsoup!,!local!dishes!,beer!and!soft!drinks!.!Snack!stalls!selling!(!sticky!rice!in!bamboo,!rice!doughnuts,!savoury!pies!,!riceYcakes!and!riceYcustard!),!fresh!fruit!and!vegetable!stalls!,!a!fresh!meat!and!fish!section!as!well!as!various!multiYproduct!shopettes!selling!general!household!goods!as!well!as!!canned!and!packaged!food.!!!

The!market!stalls!and!shops!also!sell!a!wide!selection!of!clothes!(!both!western!and!traditional!)!and!footwear!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!There!are!hardware!stores!and!garden!and!farm!implement!stores!as!well.!

It!is!a!local!bus!station!(!big!tukYtuks!rather!than!buses)!!!!

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Phonsavan Organic Market

About!a!kilometer!away!heading!out!of!town,!towards!the!main!bus!station,!is!the!new!purposeYbuilt!market.!There!is!a!main!two!storey!concrete!market!which!sells!mainly!clothes!and!household!goods!on!the!inside!and!farm!and!garden!equipment!outside!.!!!!!!

Next!door!is!another!local!bus!station!and!tukY!tuk!congregation!area!(!where!you!can!find!local!baguette!sellers!),!behind!which!is!a!small!fresh!food!section.!The!market!continues!with!a!smaller!section!of!clothes!shops!and!usually!has!makeYshift!stalls!or!parked!vans!outside!selling!seasonal!fruit!and!vegetables.!!

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Ngam Ngam Market

Four!kilometers!out!of!town!,!next!to!the!tourist!information!centre,!near!SOS!school!and!on!your!way!to!LBF!and!POJ!site!one!,!!is!another!oldYstyle!covered!market.!It’s!as!big,!as!varied!and!as!interesting!as!the!old!market!in!town!is!.So!check!it!out!if!you’re!ever!over!this!way!,!plus!you!can!enjoy!a!cold!beer!in!a!bamboo!bar!overlooking!the!lake!whilst!you’re!here.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You!can!get!tukY!tuks!to!take!you!to!POJ!site!1!from!here.!

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Top!left!–!doughnuts!Y!kow%nom%djun!!!!!!!!!!!Below!and!right!Y!savoury!pies!!!!!!!!!!Middle!–!rice!doughnuts!Y!!kow%nom%

djin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Right!hand!side!(!wrapped!in!banana!–leaf!)!!!small!Y!!sticky!rice!with!a!sliver!of!pork!meat/fat!–!kow%nom%jow%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!big!–!a!sort!of!rice!blamange!!!!!!!!Middle!leftY!banana!!fritters!!

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!!!!rice!custard!–!kow%nom%kock%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%crabY%poo%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%crickets!–!jee%lor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!Honeycomb!Y!tor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!bamboo!mouse!Y!!!aon%%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!civet!cat!Y!nyen%!!!!

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Visiting a local TEMPLE ?

LBF guide to good behavior…

Lady visitors shouldn’t wear short clothes such as short skirts or shorts .They should wear trousers or long skirts. Lady visitors visitors should wear clothes that cover their shoulders , they should not wear bikini tops and things like that. You should try to hide your tattoos.

You must take off your shoes before you go inside the temple.

You mustn’t make a loud noise in the temple. You mustn’t shout , you should talk quietly. You shouldn’t swear in the temple and after you should’nt say bad things about the temple. You mustn’t play music , you should turn your i-pod off.

You mustn’t eat food / snacks or drink inside the wat. You mustn’t drink alcohol or or take drugs. Do not smoke or spit in the temple.

You should’nt kiss each other in the temple. It’s OK to hold hands but you shouldn’t hug each other.

You must be respectful. So when you sit in front of Bhudda you must never have your feet pointing at him. Don’t hurt the monks

You mustn’t kill anything in the temple including insects and bugs.

Contributors : Miss Baby, Mr Cover , Yee Yang, Sam, Snare, Yothin , Kheam Thor CLASS B

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Watsuntiphath This temple is over a hundred years old. It is the biggest temple in Phonesavanh and it is very famous as well.

When you go there you will see

The biggest, most amazing Buddha inside the temple, as well as many wonderful small Buddhas. You can enter and take photos.

It takes you about 5-10 minutes to get there from Phonesavanh ( by motorbike 20,000 kip per/person , there and back. ) If you have more than two people you should go by tuk-tuk ( 30, 000 kip per/person return.)

By: MR Long Ha

PhonsavanWat Located in town, this local Wat is on your way to the Phonsavan Organic Market and is a little oasis of calm. It’s not the most inspiring of temple complexes that you’ll ever see but does possess a curious charm so why not have a look see ?

By: MR Nick

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Mulberries%

!Mulberry!is!a!good!place!to!visit,!because!it!tells!you!about!Lao!traditional!silk!and!

other!old!original!cultural!things.!You!will!see!the!mulberry!plants,!the!leaves!of!which!are!use!to!make!tea,!used!to!make!the!indigo!dye!as!well!as!used!to!feed!the!worms.!You!will!see!the!worms!in!their!various!stages!of!growth!and!their!white!or!yellow!cocoons!which!give!us!!the!silk.!You!will!see!how!the!cocoons!are!unravelled!

to!make!silk!thread!and!the!traditional!spinning!machines!that!are!used.!You!will!walk!through!the!garden!and!see!the!different!plants!and!flowers!they!use!to!make!the!natural!dyes!before!seeing!where!the!skeins!of!silk!are!dyed.!Then!onto!the!weaving!room!with!it’s!wooden!looms!where!the!silk!cloth!is!woven!before!visiting!the!Mulberries’!shop!which!sells!their!handYwoven!silk!clothes!as!well!as!mulberry!product!such!as!tYshirts,!scarves,!bags,!shampoo,!soap!and!tea.!

If!you!want!to!visit!this!place,!first!you!go!straight!out!of!Phonesavan!town,!past!the!north!bus!station!and!Mulberries!Organic!Silk!Farm!is!about!60!m!further!on,!on!your!right!hand!side.!

Mulberries!is!open!from!8:00amY4:00pm,!MonYSat,!and!does!guided!tours!which!last!around!!1Y1.5!hrs.!You!can!contact!them!on!020!56778286.!

!! !!! !Information!kindly!supplied!by!the!BBC!YYY!!Miss!Bee,!Miss!Bao,!Miss!Coua!!!!

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Phu!!Chan!!is!!a!!very!!beautiful!!mountain!!.!!It!!!is!!!located!!!near!Phonesavan!!!town!(!about!

half!!a!!km!away!).!!There!!!are!!!many!!!beautifully!!!coloured!!!flowers!!!around!!!Phu!!!Chan!,!!

and!!!!great!!!scenery.!!Phu!!Chan!!is!!also!!a!!!popular!!for!Hmong!!and!!Laos!!people!!to!!go!!!

to!!!and!!!take!!!photos!.!I!!!think!!!tourists!!!should!!!visit!!!because!!!it!!!is!!!a!!!very!!!beautiful!!!

place!!!!even!!!though!!!it!!is!!not!!famous.!!From!!!the!!!hill!!!top!!!you!!!can!!!see!!!all!!!of!!!

Phonsavan!!!!including!!!the!!!market.!!!The!!!views!!!are!!!fantastic.!It!!!is!!!a!!!great!!!place!!!to!!!

have!!!a!!!picnic!!!or!!!just!!!to!!!walk!!!around.!!It!!!will!!!take!!!about!!!30!!!minutes!!!to!!!walk!!

!there,!!or!!!if!! !you!!!go!!!by!!!motorbike!!!it!! !will! ! !take!!!you!!about!!!10!!!minutes.!!!You!!should!wear!!proper!!footwear!!as!!it!!can!!be!!quite!!muddy.!!!!!!Trip!!!advice!!by!!Mr.!Lucky!!(!!Yang!!)!!with!!help!!from!!Mr.!!Keo!!!Ha.!!

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PHU%DENG%

Phudeng is a small place in Phonsavang village . It’s a popular place to visit. You can also stay and

relax in a local wooden guesthouse. There are lots of trees and many different kinds of beautiful flowers.

The views are fantastic and you can take lots of pictures. At Phu Deng you can see all of Phonsavan town.

In the rainy season you can see the green farm lands, there are views of Nam Kap river and other local

villages. Near the river there is a small restaurant where you can buy cheap local food , it’s about a 5 min

walk from Phu Deng.

Phu Deng is about a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute tuk-tuk drive from the centre of Phonsavan.

It’s a great place for a family visit – I’m sure you will be glad you’ve been.

Trip advice by Miss Chewy ( Coua )

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' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '' Useful Laos words and phrases

English Hi / Hello Goodbye How are you ? Good luck / Cheers Good Bad So-so Thanks / thank you Thanks a lot Hotel Hospital Market Restaurant Bank Bus station Embassy Police station The police School Toilets Dog Cat Pig Chicken / egg Buffalo Fish Mango Banana Orange

Lao Sabaidee Lakon Chao sabaidee bor ? Sok Dee Dee Bor dee Tammada Kop chai Kop chai lai lai Hong haem Hong mor Talat Han ahan Ta na khan Sa ta nee louth may Sa ta tud Sa ta nee tam luat Tamm luat Houang hean Hong nam Ma Maeo Mou Kai Khouy Pa Ma mouang Ma khouy Ma khieng

English One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Twenty Twenty-one Thirty Fourty Fifty Sixty Seventy Eighty Ninety One hundred Two hundred One thousand One million One billion

Lao Nueg Song Sam Se Ha Hock Chet Paet Kao Sip Sip et Sip song Soa Soa et Sam sip See sip Ha sip Hock sip Chet sip Paet sip Kao sip Neug loi Song loi Nueg pun Nueg lan Nueg pun lan

Advice kindly submitted by Mr Phoun Lue Xay Class A

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