Louisiana & Mississipi... Look Out!

Been back from Mexico for a month now (Mexico travel blog HERE) and finally got over the flu... am locked, loaded and ready to saddle up to head East this time!

There's no real plan for this trip, other than exploring some of Louisianna and Mississipi for a week or two. This time I'll be joined by a friend who'll be riding the same make of motorcycle as mine, ie. Suzuki DL650... only his is newer than mine. He's also an evangelical Christian and I'm... well, let's just say I'm not an evangelical. ;-)

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Ratcliff Morning

Soooo unprepared for the temperature drop last night. Am minimalist camping and thought I was good down to about 43F.

The forecast low temp was supposed to dip to 40F and I thought I could endure. Unfortunately the weather reports were wrong and the temps sunk down to 33F!!!

I'm only just now starting to get feeling back in my feet and hands. But, I did get this nice morning scene as I stood in the forest praying for sunlight.

Bloom

"Bloom" ~ Nachitoches, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Palace Cafe

"Palace Cafe" ~ Opelousas, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

I am not sure what to make of what I've seen of Louisiana so far. The areas I've seen to date definitely seem far less affluent than I'd expected with an over abundant rust-bucket plywood-patched trailer home fleet and wood frame homes that appear to be held together with little more than proud defiance. But the people seem so very joyful and friendly. They've mostly got a hardened severe look to their faces in this region, but that intense characteristic has a softened edge that matches their golden hospitality in spades.

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Evangeline

Evangeline ~ Ville Platte, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Holiday House

Not sure what the story is with this house, but it appears to be decorated for every holiday of the year... all at once!

"Holiday House" ~ Natchez, Mississippi (c) Skip Hunt

Lucky

When I can enter a gambling boat like this one... and then exit an hour later with the same amount of dough I had when I went in... I consider myself lucky.

"Lucky" ~ Natchez, Mississippi (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Fresh Natchez Phlog

Fresh audio phone blog from Natchez, Mississippi 

Natchez Trace

"Natchez Trace" ~ Just outside Natchez, Mississppi (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Delta Dawn

"Delta Dawn" ~ Natchez, Mississippi (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Raymond's

"Raymond's" ~ New Roads, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Blue Bayou

"Blue Bayou" ~ New Roads, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Riding along the river up through Marksville, winding back and forth along old man river's soft curves and back up into Mississippi you can feel a sort of calm. A hard earned calm that comes from hard times and a realization that as long as you ain't in pain, got something spiced & fried to eat along with a tall cool drink... then not much anything else matters.

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Paint it Black

"Paint it Black" ~ New Roads, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

The BIG Not So Easy ;-)

"Dixie" ~ New Orleans, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Just recorded a fresh audio travelog from New Orleans, Louisiana. 

St. Bernard State Park

"St. Bernard State Park" ~ Madisonville, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Departed

"Departed" ~ Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Ambient NOLA Street Sounds

"NOLA" ~ New Orleans, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

NOLA MIX.ogg by skiphunt

Madame Laveau's Hot Voodoo Chambers

"Madame" ~ New Orleans, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Rode along an easy 4-lane highway all the way back South. Passed plantations and tourists lining up for the annual pilgrimage of homes all along the old parkway. A short ferry ride back over the Mississippi river and we were back in Louisiana.

The first thing I missed was the almost aggressive level of hospitality. I'd be walking along with my headphones in and looking for fresh images when time and time again some gentleman or dame would come almost rushing over to me with appearing to be warning me of some impending danger. I'd quickly take out my ear buds to get the scoop, only to discover they merely wanted to wish me a fine morning. A little unsettling at first but it wasn't long before I began to appreciate the dramatic gestures.

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Fausse

"Fausse" ~ Fausse Lake State Park, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Waif

"Waif" ~ Fausse State Park, LA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

I have never encountered quite the level of aggressiveness that pervades pretty much everywhere I went in Southern Louisiana. Well, Belize was a little worse but still.

I usually fend them off by eating raw garlic. You sweat it out your pores and they avoid you like the plague.

I'd allowed someone to convince me it didn't really work, but now I think next time I'm in the bayou I'll definitely be armed with a cache of strong cloves. ;-)