Swamps and Suites

Monday, 3 August 2009

Trek Day 6

We started the day after a pretty good night’s sleep at the KOA Campsite near Meridian in Mississippi. I was on wake-up duty this morning which, surprisingly, suits me fine as it takes me so long to get ready in the morning at the campsites that in order for me to not hold people up, I have taken to setting my alarm earlier than necessary. I hate rushing in the morning at the best of times, but when I am in a damp, sweltering tent where the bathrooms are usually a few hundred yards walk away, I need all the time I can get.

We drove through Mississippi all morning, crossed the border into Louisiana and arrived at our en-route stop for the day, a two hour boat ride through the swamps outside of New Orleans.

Close Encounters

Needless to say, the heat was exhausting the moment we set foot outside of the air conditioned van. However, once out on the Bayous, River and Swamp, the heat was quite manageable and was even lightened by a brief, light shower.

I've only ever seen Alligators as near lifeless specimens in Zoos, so to see some up close and in the wild was an impressive treat. They are magnificent creatures, with a strange air of wisdom to them. Maybe it's because they have been around since before the dinosaurs came and went and that they haven't evolved for 100 million years. They've done all the growing, learning and evolving they need to and are now completely at ease with sloping around in swamps.

You have to admire that.

Putting on a Show

Our wonderful, friendly, genuine son of Louisiana, Captain Charlie took great care of us and spoke knowledgably about the plants, birds, insects and ecosystems we were seeing all around us, but the big applause lies in seeing the Gators in action.

For this, a relationship has built up between the tourist boat captains and the gators. The Gators have learned to trust the Captains and in exchange for treats. Treats in this case being marsh-mallows and hot-dog sausages.

Several alligators approached our boat without hesitation, others needed to be seduced with a marsh-mallow thrown over the side. Once they'd arrive, our gallant captain would place a sausage on a stick, tap the water, then coax the gator into some very impressive feats as they powered themselves out of the water to grab the sausages. I think this photo speaks for itself.

The Big Uneasy

When I looked over the itinerary for the TrekAmerica tour, one of the stops which I was not particularly looking forward to was New Orleans. The city, still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, has a reputation as a big, laid back soup of fun, beads, free flowing booze where the only thing hotter than the weather is the food.

I do not drink at all. I am not a party girl. I do not like busy bars, however "laid-back" they may be. People spilling out onto streets, clutching brightly coloured cocktails is not my cup of iced tea. So, this evening, I am typing this entry in the living room of the suite of rooms we have as our accommodation tonight. Next to us is an area which the hotel proprietor tactfully said "you do not want to go into" and three blocks the other way is the quiet end of Bourbon Street.

I'll make no bones about it, I am nervous and more than a little on edge. I do not like the accommodation much, either in terms of facilities (no internet in our rooms, only in the main building which I am afraid to go to in the dark) or proximity to a "no-go" area. I am also on edge about how trashed the remaining 10 members of my party will be when they return from the gaudy bars late tonight.

Tomorrow is another day

I hope to be proved wrong, but as I sit here now, I cannot wait to get out of New Orleans and into the National Parks section of our tour. Tomorrow we are free to look around New Orleans on our own. With the heat and lack of anything which pushes my buttons, I suspect a short stroll plus a quiet day in the run-down hotel is on the cards for me.

Goodnight.

Stats - Day Ten

Distance travelled (as the crow flies) - 192 miles: Toomsuba, MS to New Orleans

States entered - Louisiana

State count - 10 + DC