Two weeks in Shreveport, Louisiana,
another week on the road, and a lot has happened. My cousin-in-law
Cassie and I took a weekend trip to New Orleans by car and had a few
adventures. We car-camped at an RV park in a part of town that was
flooded by hurricane Katrina in 2005. There were still remnants of
the wreckage scattered around town, but very little as most has been
cleaned up or rebuilt. After taking a bus and a trolly into town,
Cassie and I began walking around the French Quarter and we wandering
into a small street that looked interesting. We were several blocks
into it before we realized that we had wandered down Bourbon street.
Historically, Bourbon street has been home to the upper class,
brothels, then jazz. Today it is best described as a “tourist
trap.” It was all excellent fun, but even when trying to avoid it,
Cassie and I found it easy to get sucked back towards the lights and
sounds of Bourbon street. Being a music major, I was looking forward
to finding jazz in New Orleans. There were several bands playing in
various pubs along the street. We found an '80's cover band, one
ska-washboard band, and a three-piece blues group in a very crowded
pub. The ska-washboard was the most interesting. I had never seen or
heard a washboard solo before, but now I have rejuvenated respect for
percussionists. I entered music as a percussionist, so I find myself
overly critical of garage band drummers and tambourine players. At
the pub with the ska-washboard band, we also had a drink called the
“Turtle.” The ingredients are kept a secret, but internet chat
forums suspect Everclear is the main ingredient and one drink was
certainly enough for an evening on Bourbon street.
Public transportation in New Orleans is
an adventure in itself. Cassie and I work early to get downtown so we
had time to ride back to the RV park for showers and a jump in the
pool before evening festivities in the French Quarter. After the
trolly ride to the bus stop on the way back to the park, we had a 45
minute wait. Several people were gathering for the bus and not all of
them were sober. A very drunk and mentally handicapped man was
listening to his ipod and dancing between lanes in a four land
highway. Drunk man #2, who had been doing his best to get the
attention of a girl, decided to get drunk man #1 out of the street.
In a few minutes they went from best buddies to not wanting to talk
to each other anymore. Drunk guy #1 did a bit more dancing in the
street then went inside the bus shelter and out of sight of most of
the people waiting. Drunk guy #1 found Passed-Out-Drunk-Guy #3 and
decided to steal his wallet, booze, and shoes. I didn't realize what
drunk guy #1 did done until the bus came and people started laughing
and saying “he took his shoes!” Drunk guy #3 was left in the bus
shelter with turned out pockets and no shoes. Drunk guys #1 and #2
got on the bus with us and #2 eventually fell out a door and stumbled
away. #1 stayed on the bus beyond our stop, but all the while, people
on the bus were careful to not let anyone sit next to him and kept
telling him to stop cussing.
On the way back downtown for dinner and
drinks, Cassie and I were waiting by the tracks for the trolly to
take us from the bus stop back to the French Quarter. Next to me was
an older gentleman with a cane, who I would have guessed to be a
school teacher or administrator. Within a few minutes he began
talking with a younger guy and in the minutes before the trolly
arrived, I overheard the better part of their conversation on price
negotiations for the crack one was selling to the other. The
teacher/administrator was very insistent on his price and seemed to
have experience in heckling.
After our touristic fun on Bourbon
street, Cassie and I drove back to Shreveport and the next morning on
was back on the bike. Over the next several days I alternated between
early morning, late night, and all night rides. Day temperatures were
around 100 degrees Fahrenheit and impossible to bike in. I crossed
into Arkansas, Mississippi, and here I am in Alabama. I cross into
Georgia in a couple days and will head north from Atlanta. I think it
will feel weird traveling in a new direction after so many miles of
heading east.
Lots of things to do and see on the
east coast! I can't wait.
