Many of the maps had changed as villages grew and new roads were laid. And there were many more tourists traveling what has become a clearly defined track through the North. The main draw there is caving and splashing around in the river. And getting stoned. West by river to Huay Xai and the Thai border, maybe stopping for a day at Pakbeng along the way.
Some people do more or less the same trail but in reverse, ending their journey in Vientiane.
If you stay on the track, which has become pretty easy to travel, you are guaranteed to see many other tourists doing what you re doing. Some people find this hard to accept. Legions is not the right word. There are not nearly as many tourists in Laos as there are in Thailand, but the number is growing. You can still find plenty of quiet places if you like, yet you can still find nightclubs full of farangs and the action that follows their dollars around.