I did another scooter loop, this one based from Thakhek. It’s about 500 kilometers, most of which winds through limestone karst formations, tiny towns, and past many caves. I completed it in three days, proceeding clockwise, but in retrospect, and had I done more research before setting out, I would have taken four days. I thought the scenery was superior to that on the Bolaven Loop, and an extra day to wander around the general environs would have been time well spent. Other than the opportunities for hiking and walks, it was just nice to be in some close proximity to everyday life in the Laotian countryside. I couldn’t quite tell to what level tourism has taken a hold along this route; there were a fair number of guesthouses in certain areas, but overall, except for Konglor, there didn’t seem to be a high concentration of tourists. Maybe I just caught it on a few slow days, or perhaps these guesthouses are serving a different set of travelers than those buzzing around the loop on scooters.

I’m much more confident riding on dirt at this point. Most of this route is paved, but I hit a dirt stretch of, at the time, unknown distance a couple of hours before sunset on the second day, and decided that slower, cautious driving might only leave me en route in the oncoming dusk, which I didn’t want. I started following another rider who has a reasonably faster, steady clip, and realized that it was a family of three and their groceries. I could see bags hanging off the handlebars, and the leg of a toddler peeking out. It made me re-evaluate the situation. They were making better time than I was with triple the load. It’s good to have your boundaries pushed around once in a while. Maybe my next scooter hurdle will be learning how to carry a passenger sitting sidesaddle. Loads of women do it here (it’s always women who sit this way, probably because their skirts prevent them from straddling the saddle), and make it look effortless, even while bumping over dirt. There’s even the occasional double-sidesaddle: two passengers behind the driver, one with legs to the right, the other with legs to the left. I passed three schoolgirls in Cambodia riding this way. Or actually, they passed me. On a bumpy dirt road.

On the last day I turned off the main road into a small, tidy town just north of Nakai, and rode up and down the dirt streets to take a look. Lots of people, both kids and adults, were calling out sabai di, hello. After a few encounters I started stopping and asking if I could take their pictures. Everyone was perfectly happy and willing to pose, although most of the adults put on their serious faces for the camera, no matter how much they were smiling before and after. I always showed the photos I took, and wish I could have gotten photos of the reactions. Anyway, all those people pics are locked in my camera, so here are some taken with my phone on the rest of the ride.