Month: October 2019

Back in Australia now, being serenaded by bird songs as the day dawns. The large numbers of wild birds that this country has is a true blessing.

We didn’t blog the last couple of days in Nyorlins for several reasons: number one we were pretty tired at that stage, a week in a crazy city like that is exhausting! Secondly we spent the final two days either riding in streetcars (trams) and viewing the city we hadn’t experienced yet, or driving in a zig zag pattern around the one way back streets viewing the pretty architecture and the outrageous colours that they have been painted. We speculated on why the house owners might have chosen selections such as orange walls with pink and lime trimmings, and could only come up with “Well, no one else on the street has it!” as a reasonable answer. Boring is not something that is common in Nyorlins.

Finally, our lack of bloggage was really down to the utter exhaustion we felt that was brought on by so many late nights ricochetting from one music establishment to another, groovin’ on the different jazz and blues styles that we came across. The live music in Nyorlins is amazing, it is a community that is rightfully proud of its fabulous jazz and blues heritage, and musicians are encouraged and promoted in so many ways.

We rode a couple of the streetcars from one end to another, viewing the scenery and the people that utilise them. Although the benches were wooden they were quite comfortable to perch upon and soak up the views outside the nice and clean glass windows. Nyorlins was going through an unusual heat wave during our stay (lucky for us) and the streetcars were all air conditioned, so we remained comfortable within their confines.

What follows a few Odd and Quirky Observations on the US:

*Before coming we were warned that ‘Everything is Big’ in the US. For example Big meals: After a feed you need to take the leftovers (called a ‘box’ not a ‘doggie bag’) home for lunch the next day. Goodness gracious, who needs to super-size? Getting a full tummy was not a problem that we encountered, even pastries were often much larger than what we were used to.

*Monster trucks: they take it to the extreme on a regular basis, lots of lo-o-ong, broad and high pickups (utes) sporting wide dual tyres on the back and throbbing V8 motors under the bonnet. Often the wheels were so big, and projected so far out from the mudguards, that they sprayed mud up the side panels. Outrageously enormous vehicles are extremely common, probably because the roads are so wide and gas (petrol) is so cheap. We paid about an average of US$1.30 per gallon (aprox 80 cents per litre Australian) whilst travelling right across the country. In Lafayette one person commented on our ‘small’ Toyota Camry and how economical it must be! Gosh, and there we were thinking that Mary car was a big guzzler!

*In our travels around the world we have encountered a variety of toilets, encompassing the indescribable abominations of Vietnam to the sordid holes in the ground of Italy and Africa. But to sit on an otherwise civilised porcelain throne and have a gentleman’s equipment dip surprisingly into the cold and unsavoury water lurking a mere centimetre or so below one’s bottom is an unpleasant and shocking experience indeed. It took Rod some time to get used to the large reservoirs held just beneath the seat.

*Disposable plastic: this is the only place we’ve encountered where each and every disposable cup – be it plastic or paper – is wrapped in its own individual little plastic bag to tear open and throw away! Effectively doubling the environmental problem! To compound it most of the motels we stayed in for breakfast used disposable plastic knives, forks and spoons as well as plastic bowls and plates! What’s wrong with washing dishes for goodness’ sake? Plus, it does look so incredibly tacky.

*We were often asked “Where you from? England?” to which we reply “No, Australia.” One person then answered us with “So that’s why you are easier to understand!”

*Advertising: in the US it is something of an eye-opener. The most commonly seen road side billboards are for rather unsavoury ambulance-chaser lawyers, frequently inquiring of the reader “Injured?” Some specialise in oil-rig injuries, others 18-wheeler accidents, others do class actions. It’s quite creepy. We saw whole suburban streets taken up by law firms advertising how to blame someone else for your own actions. Litigation, it seems, is very common and very lucrative.

TV ads are phenomenal, lots of ambulance chasers constantly plugging class action litigation for glyphosphate exposure, mesothelioma, etc, etc. But the drug companies were a big surprise with their prolific hard sell of lots of chemicals for diabetes, MS, weight loss, botox, multiple forms of cancers, and plenty of medical conditions that we knew nothing about. Doctors are so expensive that people must be forced to self medicate. Also using up lots of air time were loan shark ads extolling their ‘gifts’ of FREE MONEY!

*Sugar: oh my goodness gracious me most foods are packed heavily with the stuff. It takes a lot of ingredients list reading to buy something that is not riddled with the wicked substance.

*Coffee: over on the West coast San Francisco had fairly reasonable stuff, but purchasing a cup of coffee whilst travelling across the country was an unpleasant experience. Weak and insipid, tasting only just a tiny bit like coffee, each coming with eensy little disposable packs of ‘creamer’ (labelled half and half) instead of milk. Rod had to open and then throw away about four disposable packs to colour his weak cups of strange and insipid fluid. Luckily, in Nyorlins the coffees were often more acceptable, but to be on the safe side, Rod took no chances and brewed his own back at our little house. He has been spoilt by good Greek and Turkish coffees whilst on other adventures. And getting a cup of tea for Georgie was nigh on impossible in some places. Iced tea not a problem but hot tea was quite a challenge.

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is supposed to be the longest continuous bridge over water (approx 38 kilometres), so on that basis we just had to drive Mary car over it. On the other side of that broad lake from New Orleans there is no protective levee, so all the houses are built up high on stilts away from potential floodwaters. There are some very nice places over there, grand old historic homes, many with water views and big shaggy trees in the garden. We trickled around and visited a conservation park (for free, as they allow old farts in without paying any fees) and Rod meandered off into the scrub again as he is wont to do.

The massive trees there were draped in enormous veils of ‘spanish moss’ and looked utterly splendid. Rod met a lady who was carrying a shed snake’s skin and he was fascinated to finally view evidence of a metre long snake. We have seen lizards, turtles and alligators whilst here but that was the first view of anything to do with a legless reptile. A little bit exciting!

We made it back to the city in time for our booking at the famous Preservation Hall for a jazz concert. The music was fantastic trad jazz played superbly by the very experienced band. The ‘hall’ however left a lot to be desired, the ‘seats’ that we had paid for were simply narrow spaces on a wooden bench that were so squishy and uncomfortable that Rod got up and moved to the back to stand up instead. In the interests of being authentic the place hadn’t been cleaned since the 1940s and Rod was too nervous to touch or lean against the walls. But the atmosphere was real and the music wonderful.

By then it was getting dark so we wandered off down Bourbon Street in search of more music. We listened to piano players and a couple of rock bands before stumbling upon a brilliant and high-energy jazz band that entertained us wonderfully through a couple of sets. We would have stayed on, but a drag show was about to begin on the next block, so we shifted venues again.

A couple of ladies kindly offered us to share their pre-booked table, so we had front row seats at that crazy show. It was lots of laughs, totally outrageous and Rod was grateful that they didn’t play any gruesome ABBA songs.

A good time was had by all.

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It was a trip out of the city today as we headed up bush, driving back roads beside long winding mega levees that follow the meandering course of the Mississippi River, itself a mega highway for slow chugging cargo ships. To view the river one needs to stop the car and climb the grassy slope to look down on that broad murky expanse of water, its banks mostly lined with wharves and oil refineries.

We stopped for a picnic on a plastic bench near Baton Rouge and bought pina colada and black cherry snow balls. Brain freeze on a warm humid day.

The road took us past many stately and grand old plantation mansions, with enormous lawns and old mossy trees surrounding the huge columned fronts of the old homes, beautiful buildings open to the public and re-creating the glory days of slavery and ill-gained wealth.

We picked up a hitch hiker, a garrulous old Louisianan, an entertaining guy who chatted constantly the whole way, although we barely understood a word he said, his Southern accent was so rich.

Driving deep into the Atchafalaya Basin we finally found some suitable and accessible wild bushland, and Rod took himself walkabout. Pacing silently and alert amongst the scattered shadowy swamps, exploring some of the myriad dead-end shallow rises, marvelling at impressive cypress trees with buttressed trunks and tangled bundles of pneumatophores, hard woody roots projecting darkly from the duck-weed covered calm water. The weedy surface was sometimes languidly disturbed by mysterious large water denizens, briefly glimpsed. Catfish? Turtles? Alligators perhaps?

That was another box on the bucket list ticked.

There were long bridges that literally stretched for miles, spanning huge areas of swamplands. Well maintained super highways that only were lacking in corners, passing over massive areas of low lying swamps, the famous bayous. Buried pipelines abounded, each carrying oil or gas: the wealth behind the local economy.

All along the highways there were clusters of roads on sticks, curving over each other in multiple layers. We came across no roundabouts, instead enormous arching concrete cross overs, huge and yet fragile-looking.

We arrived back at our digs after dark, having negotiated fast and busy multi lane highways with manic city drivers swapping lanes and tailgating each other, brake lights glaring.

It was another big day.

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We took a ride on a paddle steamer down the Mississippi River, but the views along the river bank were mainly of flood damaged wharfs and warehouses. Not the most attractive stuff. Luckily the view ON the boat was much more entertaining, there was a group of gorgeous voluptuous African American women from Miami all done up in fancy and revealing frocks that accentuated their beautiful curves, and they were all laughing and having a wow of a time. That sure brought smiles to our faces.

There was a good quality Dixieland jazz band playing on board, which also added to the enjoyment.

After disembarking we tried a few beignets (French donuts) and listened to some more great live jazz. Then we wandered off down to the French Markets for a browse for trinkets and souvenirs. Following that it was a meander over to Bourbon Street to do another music venue crawl and some window shopping. We called in to B. B. King’s Blues Bar for a blast of blues, then on to The House of the Rising Sun where Rod had his first whiskey in many weeks as we listened to the rock band.

Just a bit exhausted we returned to our digs for a rest.

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It was a late start to the day due to a bit of a sleep in, then we drove Mary car out to the Jean Lafitte National Park and took a tourist boat out onto the bayou in the hope of seeing some cute little alligators. We were not disappointed as the little fellas ended up almost climbing into the boat with us. It seems the tourism industry here is not as regulated as it is in Australia, the guide was throwing marshmallows (for goodness sake) to attract the little reptiles! And the ‘gators were actually eating them! Marshmallows!

Eventually he stopped the boat in a place where about five of the animals gathered around the vessel and he started feeding them chicken legs, which we must say was an improvement over giving them lollies! As alligators are not a threat to humans, it seems there is not such a problem with teaching them to associate people with food, something you don’t want to do with the larger crocodilians.

The swamps were beautiful, the trees impressive and the Spanish Moss (not actually a moss) was stunning. Plus we finally got to see the wild alligators. They are mild mannered and entertaining little beasts, nothing like our more single-minded prehistoric crocodiles.

Another trip into the city to do a live music venue crawl was our evening treat. Once again we wandered down Frenchman Street popping into establishments where jazz was playing and enjoying the sounds and the ambience. The crowds had thinned out from what we’d experienced the night before, which made things a little easier to move around and to get a seat where we could see the bands. The people-watching was just as entertaining.

A big grid-iron game was on so everyone was keen to watch the TVs where the invading Dallas team was being beaten by the local New Orleans mob. “Who dat!” the audience would all blurt: which is a kind of Nyorlins war cry.

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