Laos Xepon Wnar Museum & POI's

The excellent Laos War Museum (N16.63481 E106.42899) is located in the middle of many other areas of interest the nearby Viengxay Hotel in Xepon ( N16.70008 E106.20864 ) the perfect base for day loops to discover remnants of both the French and American war era. At the foot of this post i will put co-ord’s and pictures of some points of interest nearby.

Here are some pictures of what can be found at the museum and grounds.

Many great photographs

Rifles and other artefacts on display.

Outside there is a pretty impressive display of all kinds of weaponry found in the region.

Bomb casings

Artillery pieces

This 20' mural was outside drying i imagine it will be part of the display at some time.

Nearby points of interest.

Downed Helicopter in Phin  N16.53467 E106.02203

More information can be found here about the helicopter rescue mission. http://www.rotorheadsrus.us/documents/330.html

Bombed bridge (graded trail to this point)   N16.27966 E105.95857 the other bombed bridge is 5 hours further south on narrow trail.

French Era pillbox N16.70093 E106.21387

Xepon bombed bridge N16.69846 E106.21680

Aircraft fuel cell boats on slipway N16.69585 E106.21747

French Era shot up wat and bank safe N16.68196 E106.23630

Preserved section of Ho Chi Minh Trail N16.49739 E106.48623

Bombed village so much stuff here N16.25906 E106.57989 A rough trail does continue South to Saravan.

Long Bamboo bridge (South to Saravan) N16.35729 E106.47076

Halo UXO Offices stop by and give them a donation they are doing great work N16.68411 E106.25196

 

That's it have fun 

Laos Villabouri To Xepone

Well fed and suitably watered was to be a fairly short day to Xepon, we scouted a few options around VIllabouri and came across the Halo people dealing with UXO's

Hardly state of the art protection, these guy's get paid $3 a day.

Worksheets showing type of ordnance to be found.

Turns out it was a mortar shell to be disposed of.

All the villages in this area boast some form of war scrap, they make nice flower troughs !

Creative display outside the Poverty Reduction Office in Xepon.

The new bridge in Xepon partly funded by Russia.

Boats made from fuel cells off aircraft.

Just off the bridge the slipway littered with these boats made from aircraft parts.

No idea what this was just judging by the bullet holes its war related.

The old bank safe in old Xepon.

Inside the safe.

Preserved frontage of damaged Wat in the same location.

Bomb craters litter this site.

We headed back to Phin and the memorial buildings and war wreckage on display.

We stopped by the Halo offices to try and gather some information, some of the munitions on display.

An enjoyable visit to the war museum.

An easy day and time to check into the Viengxay hotel, great value in the annexe buildings.

Found some interesting info on the downed helicopter on display at the Phin junction.

http://www.rotorheadsrus.us/documents/330.html

More info can be found here : http://peteralanlloyd.com/back-part-2/the-wreckage-of-a-us-helicopter-shot-down-in-laos-during-the-vietnam-war/

http://www.rotorheadsrus.us