Still a lot of dust due to construction on the way south of Nakai. Went west into the carst scenery at a point, but after 10km or so into a small valley with nice villages I had to return. There was a short slope with large rocks and boulders, not drivable with my little scooter. The locals push their little motos across in groups of 2 and 3, hard work, they offered me to help to get across, but I knew it was quite a distance ot the villages in the valley there, dead end, would require to spend the night in one of the villages. opted to turn around and head for Mahaxay instead.
In Mahaxay I had planned a detour to the village of Dang, likely in a scenic location along the river, but as the guesthouse in Mahaxay is quite run down and worse the nice restaurants with terraces on the river had all disappeared i decided to move on once more.
22) Country Road past Mahaxay
Road was decent, reached Xaibouathong, alarger settlement at a crossroad, just before dark. There was a sort of very simple wooden guesthouse at the premises of the town hall where i found a bed for the night. Few restaurants and cold beer along the main road and I was set up for the night.
The next day the first stretch was still in good condition, but then near the Xe-Noy river there was the last bridge across a creek and the trails started.
23) Last bridge...
From now on it was trails and sort of guesswork (heading east and south) until I reached some villages.
24) Trails
I just had to laugh when I got to this main intersection...decided to head south which would take me closer to the Xe-noy river where I would have to find a river crossing somewhere...
25) main intersection
The trail got better as I got closer to next village
26) Near the villages
From Now on I asked my way from village to village. I asked for the way to Nasalooooo, which is the next larger settlement on the other side of the Xe-Noy river at a real road junction there. I was pointed from village to village until at one point I was told there were two ways to go. Upon further questioning one was supposed to have water 'up to here' (locals pointing chest level), the other one had a boat.
Easy decision, boat.
Take left along the way was the advice.
Shortly outside of village was a junction and I duly turned left, then it was from village to village again. At one point, just past a village, the trail seemed to end in an open field. Nearby were a few fellows and a family building a new, good size house and I went to ask. One fellow told me to follow him and 150m away we were down the river bank. e was the ferryman.
27) Ferry across the Xe-Noy
Afterwards it wasn't far to the next village which sat just aside the main road (still a dirt road, but a real road again) to Vilaboury, a major town with some paved roads, several guesthouse and restaurants. From here it was all paved road to route 9 and Xepon, near the Vietnamese border. On the way I passed the Australian operated gold/copper mine, a huge mine which even sports an airfield...
