Whilst in Vientiane we went to the COPE Museum, where we learnt about the huge number of unexploded bombs still leftover in Laos after the Vietnam War (which they refer to here as the American War).
I think there are 250,000 bombs left today, which is just crazy considering Laos wasn’t actually involved in this war. The museum was a real eye-opener because although we have already seen bridges, gates and even souvenirs made from these bombs shells, we didn’t appreciate that the bombs were still live in so many villages throughout Laos today. I was actually tempted to buy some spoons made from the bombs because… it’s cool, it’s recycling and it’s nice to support villagers who have found these old bomb shells, right?! WRONG! I didn’t realise that people in Laos were still handling live bombs today in order to make these souvenirs and possibly a little bit of money from them!
Due to lack of education, and the need for money from the scrap metal, villagers still go looking for these bombs with metal detectors. We read about one man who heard the gunpowder attracted fish, so was trying to open a bomb for fishing and had blown all of his limbs of. There are also cases of complete accidents; Laos people cook on the floor which will cause the bombs to explode if one is nearby, or of course if you accidentally step in the wrong place.
The COPE charity (which is based in the same place as the Visitor Centre) is working to clear the bombs and also educate the people on safety surrounding the bombs. They provide prosthetic limbs for all the people who require them, who until now had been making their own…. from metal found on the bombs! It is a crazy and sad situation, especially considering that it’s still going to take years and years for the bombs to be cleared completely.
What amazing work this place is doing. This is well worth a couple of hours out of your time in Vietnam.
COST | Free! Although you’ll surely want to put something in the donation box by the time you have read the stories displayed in here.
OPENING HOURS | 9-5.30 every day.
GET THERE | About 1km from the city centre (past the local bus station). You can tuk-tuk or taxi it but the walk was worth it, past the pet shops selling OSTRICHES!
