Louisiana
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Mississippi delta
After visiting the nice town of New Orléans, I spent a couple of days in the Mississippi delta, a huge wet zone and totaly flat. VivaLaVida sometimes slept on the beach it-self and I could observe many birds…
1. A nice campsite, isn’t it?
2. Half sun! 😉
3. A seagull at sunset…
4. Sunrise with sea mist…
5. Halo in the mist…
6. Work of the night probably…
7. Another campsite…
8. Royal terns resting.
The next day, I moved a few tens of kilometers and arrived in Texas in an area where there are freshwater marshes behind the dunes, promise an interesting ornithological fauna.
As I walked there, I met me a retired volunteer. Exchanging a few words with, she said: “From 5, mosquitoes will attack you!”
Me: “Really? Even in the wind?”
Her: “Yes , pray for having wind…”.
I found a place to sleep on the beach and after photographing the sunset, I walked into VLV and have undertaken to postprocess some images. Around 9:30, when I turned on the light, stupor: it was almost impossible to see through the windows as there were so many mosquitoes above! Thousands at least. Then I realized that a good fifty were able to enter VLV, where I’m not sure yet . Perhaps through Dashboard ventilation since all other issues being closed… So I had a pretty mosquito hunt before cooking my diner and after because obviously they continued to enter. The next morning, there was again a good fifty but fortunately, as these little creatures have never loved me, , I had only one bite on a toe… : – D
So much for the story.
9. The campsite in question under a nearly full moon.
10. A snowy plover.
11. Two others…
12. Readheads.
13. A nice heron…
14-16. A small series on the brown pelican, wonderful.
17. A neighbor of my camp…
Bye for now……
Eventful way to New Orleans
My definitive papers there, I could set sail “for real”, unusual feeling of freedom ..!:-D
So I took the road to Alabama where some beautiful public forests worth a short stop on the way to Louisiana and Texas. I leaved Buford late, so I was caught in Atlanta trafic jam, especially with a steady rain. I spotted a small Primitive Campground near a small lake approx. 130 miles away but when I got there, a sign said “Seasonal Closure, we will welcome you from mid march” … It was dark for two hours, so I opted to sleep on a small car park at a trailhead in the forest.
I woke up at 4am by a strong gust of wind shaking Vivalavida. A storm front was coming and lightning were so numerous that the light was almost constant. Fifteen minutes later, I heard sirens in the valley and then voice in speakers too distant to be audible. I turned on the little Weather Radio that Corry and Mike had given me, the Swiss couple I’ve camped with in November. It broadcast loop alert “violent storms and marked tornado risk” urging everyone to get away..! Glups, I have not dragged to break camp and get out of this forest, so as not to take a tree on Vivalavida. Ten minutes later, they were real downpour under a huge storm that forced me to drive not faster than 10 m/h, I didn’t just see anything. With almost continuous lightning, it was daunting! Arrived in the valley 45 minutes later, I sheltered under a bridge where two trucks were already stoped. Wake somewhat hectic!
I could take the road again 1:30 later. The weather being advertised rainy for two days in this area, I made the choice to forget the walks that I planned in these forests and head directly to New Orleans. So I drove 530 miles in one go and I arrived there at around 18h.
I visited this charming city quite different in the landscape of American cities. I hardly heard some French Creole, at most a few seniors. This language seems to be lost, it’s a pity…
Here are some pictures gleaned during my walks…
1. The French Quarter and his cabs…
2. The cathedral…
3. Madonna in an alcove.
4. Inside the cathedral…
5. Typical balconies…
6. Arcades near the famous Café du Monde…
7. Typical house of the French Quarter.
8. Streets are busy…
9. Live Music is everywhere, in cafes as on the street…
10. Nice face…
11. Another one…
12. Old colonial house.
13. New Orléans rickshaw.
14. Small bars like this, it’s everywhere!
15. Small street…
16. Another one…
17. Nachez comming back, one of the last boats of Mississippi which still runs on steam.
18. The famous paddle wheel.
19. The famous Café du Monde, crowded at any time. You can taste the famous Café-Beignet, the local specialty. Too bad I can make it taste you… 😉
20. The night is falling…
21. … but live music continues…
22. Stores stay open till late in the night.
23. The city is really animated.
24. Reference name…
That’s it for this little pictorial tour, hoping that it doesn’t make too much of a blow… My feet were a little heavy after 10 hours visiting streets and quays..!
The following day, I discovered the vast Mississippi delta; so the next update will be again more wild with some new adventures to tell you… 😉
D5 Creation