20.11.15
Tham Pua cave
Another area which is easy day loop ride from Phonsavan is the Tham Pha Hospital caves, the site is located N19.50103 E102.87241 only 50km or so from town. You will need a headlamp to explore although the staff on site will loan you one if you forget.
Once used by the Pathet Laos as a medical field hospital and was heavily bombed.
Once used by the Pathet Laos as a medical field hospital and was heavily bombed.
The site is divided in two cave complexes, the first housing a large Buddha.
If you crawl behind the Buddha you will many murals on the rocks.
Some pretty impressive rock formations inside the first cave.
As you descend into the cave an old hospital gurney on display.
If you look carefully you will see many medical vials around the edges of the floor.
Old army shoe.
Lot's of small Buddha's hidden away in crevices, most with heads removed.
To reach the other cave you have to double back and walk around the mountain to the opening, this cave must have been storage for medical equipment of some kind.
Once inside the floor is littered with hundreds of vaccination bottles, its hard to walk without standing on them.
Various food cans littered about, not sure if these are from the war period or just litter.
An enjoyable couple of hours poking around the caves, i was lucky i was the only person visiting.
Not far away on the way back is a lovely old Wat and stupa located at N19.51427 E102.90299 well worth a look at.
Dragon boat in storage.
I noticed this suspension bridge on the way back worth exploring next time.
War scrap parked inside an army camp on the edge of town.
2 comments:
Powerful images.
Would be a good idea to base oneself in Phon for a few days and do circuits
as there is just so much to see in that area. Must do. Need bike!
Agreed it is a most interesting place, although it's not one of my favourite places to stop, it has a very cold feel to it as well as the fact it is usually bloody cold there too.
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