CnC: On the Run Home

Having been to about all the places we originally wanted to see, it is time to head back to Albuquerque.

We still have a few days up our sleeve. These days were kept for things that might go wrong causing us to delay in one place for days at a time.

But luckily, we have not had any major setbacks so we can take it easy over the next few days.

For instance, tomorrows plan is to only do about 160 miles. But I'm sure we'll find things to see.

Today we departed New Orleans after watching a single vehicle roll-over out our rear window. I heard the screeching and looked out to see the little black car sideways at high speed and bouncing off the freeway railings. Over it went and into the fence behind our motel. A couple of other cars stopped and I saw the driver crawl out. Phew.

Then it was our turn to join these crazies and negotiate the freeways across town to travel over the last bridge over the Mississippi River. You might remember we crossed the first bridge a couple of weeks ago.

Today we crossed it a few more times as well. Well, it does meander somewhat. First it was a ride out to where some of the old Southern homesteads are. A few are still preserved to show the "old days". I guess they should stay as a reminder of how not to run a nation, on the back of slavery. Just my personal opinion.

The country here is very fertile and they are currently growing large areas of sugar cane. Looks pretty healthy too. Seems to my untrained eye a strange way of harvesting as well. Looks like they pull it out rather than cut it like back home. I guess there are reasons.

We then took a quick tour of Baton Rouge freeways - fairly quiet on a sunday - then more riverside travel, crossing it a couple more times, the last one by ferry. Waiting in line we met Randy, a down-home good ol' boy. Nice enough, but talk about rough around the edges. He showed me some interesting photos of a recent biker rally he attended. Not for the kiddies. We also had a little trouble communicating with our different accents, but managed OK.

Then we traveled north for a bit, taking some back roads that looked, on the map, to be a bit more bendy than others - always a good thing. But it meant we got caught in a heavy downpour. Got soaked as it hit quickly and there was no shelter so no point in stopping for wets. In any case in this heat and humidity it was rather welcome and through the other side we dried out fairly quickly. That was until we met another shower just before pulling up for the night in Natchez, Mississippi. Luckily the motel has a laundry so now everything is nice and dry and after a Pizza Hut dinner we are ready for a good night's kip.

After doing up the photos: