Christmas Eve Begins! blow baby blow!

Chilled out beginning in India House Hostel. Probably the most laid back complete hostel Ive seen to date. Our private room last night had massive paint peelings. And I thought, heck yeah, New Orleans!

Found some red beans and rice with grilled catfish for lunch. Then hopped the trolley (yah the trolley $1.25) into town. The neighborhoods in midtown had great bars witha great vibe but I need to see the craziness downtown. Just found a brass band near Frenchman called the Spotted Cat. Its nestled in the side streets of colorful houses. Characters all over the streets. Big plans for awesome music tonight!

Hope everyone has a stellar xmas eve! I'll be thinking of snow, cozy fireplaces, christmas trees, presents, family, pierogis, borscht, post-feast napping,and the movie White Christmas (with the comments mom makes about it every year); as I celebrate another non-traditional xmas away from home because this where I landed. The hostel should have a gathering tomorrow.

Love everyone

Mile 95: Goodbye 'Dignity'; Hello New Orleans!

'Dignity' canoe & Davy

"I gave away the canoe last night in exchange for a po' boy and my bar tab" said Davy as he swaggered by my tent, after the bar. I felt indifferent. Ending at the port city of New Orleans would be a fitting end to the saga::.15 days and 350 miles. I got to experience a lot of the Mississippi, build up muscle, and take some great pics of a America's modern marvel. One of those trips where 2 weeks felt like 2 months.

This last 20 miles down river were relatively quiet at first. Little traffic. The clouds gave way to some sun, then we saw the city 3 times around false bends. We were defeated as we hit the last stretch and the river began to flow backwards in a massive eddy with the wind on us hard. A barge overtook another barge coming closer to us than any other on the trip -- for one last scare.

Sitting along the New Orleans river walk a couple took the $400 canoe for $40 (and a majority of the Walmart gear), so we can celebrate! We donated the rest of goods to the homeless people scattered about. They were happy. And like a mermaid losing her fin, we walked into New Orleans -- land people, again.

Bring on the holidays! I'm thinking Mexico City for New Years .

Rain. Wind. Rain. [Tornado Cancelled]

[Update: The tents started to blow violently; the rain came down hard. Davy's tent took off (while he was at the store) and I dropped a rock on top of it. Tornado sirens went off. I collapsed my tent, pulled in the canoe, and made it to Amour de Cafe (with my dry bags) to dry off and warm up. Now, far less grumpy. The tornado warning was eventually cancelled. The sky is clearing. I'm sure the waves are still choppy. We'll hold for the night].

[Earlier] Hiding in my tent and eating dry packets of oatmeal because its too windy to start the propane burner. Testing the limits of this childrens tent and its surviving! How is Walmart's Ozark Trail not sponsoring us yet?! The thick fog that set in last night and blanketed the coast like an eerie movie has lifted. I'm content reading Vonnegut a bit longer; but things are damp all-around. Maybe sun by noon? Too bad its just the NOLA airport and the suburbs (shotgun houses and Christmas lights galore) over the levy. No good stores; no Starbucks.

Mile 115?: Amongst giants; suicide alley part II

Today was blues skies and hot sunshine. For parts of the day one shore was peaceful and green; the other shore was larger and larger factories billowing smoke; then the shore became wall to wall lines of barges awaiting picking up. In a way this became the new norm, the steel levy.Passing by titanic sized ships being loaded with coal and chemicals was often awe-inspiring. Watching tiny men walk their lengths. We watched the movements of all things metal; studied them; and reacted to them with patience as we drifted by. Manmade rapids would appear an challenge us. Such a strange challenge. Land of giants.

Then the river gave way to a long serene stretch, like peaceful lake forged by miles of dam to one side. Its calm made me nervous. We came across a migration of thousands of tiny ducks amid the barges. They would fly and land near us again and again.

We are camped somewhere between barges. Workers are busy. A fire seems improbable. 20 miles outside New Orleans. My arms hurt <whine>

Mile 147: All is swell. Real swell.

We had to wait until noon for the river fog to clear. Zero visibility until then. Thunderstorms and rain loomed but we just got wind on us that created 1-2 foot waves the length of our path down glorious Suicide Alley. For 15 miles the graineries and shore factories were got bigger and closer. Awaiting barges lined the shore. But while we hit arm exhausting chops down this stretch there was little traffic. Im almost sad.
At this point the barge traffic stops and gives way to larger ships like the one pictures that head the rest of the way to sea. They dont move very often. We just pass a lot of them.
Still seeing eagles. Perhaps a migration.
We've made it to Gramercy. Davy is anxious. His last attempt at this river ended at this same town in 2010 when his expensive kayak was stolen. Just 150 miles to go. Or as he says "hes almost there". Being the hitchhiker; I'm only halfway there myself. ;)

Mile 177: Messy-ssippi River begins.

From Baton Rouge on the river has been dredged deeper for large ocean bound boats like the one above. Sure its bigger than a barge but im more afraid of the great width of a barge than the sheer hull of this ship. Anyways the big todo is that theres supposed to be 100s of boats of traffic and industry. We made 30 miles or more today and the traffic was light. No problems.
The shore is lined with nuclear. coal and natural gas plants. oil pipes. poorly regulated chemical factories that look like a futuristic smoky metropolis. But what i really noticed was a couple bald eagles in trees. a herd of cattle and calves following us along the swamp. a car full of people following us across the levy. and a lot of idle workers waving at our tinsel covered canoe .
Thought we hit faster water but maybe theres just more to look at on shore. perspective. well, might have rain or fog slowing us tomorrow but we've got a lot of supplies from Dollar General to feed us.

Grocery mirage!

This convoy was a grocery store on the water. Sadly, they deliver to barges by making runs to the grocery store andd have no inventory. I was tempted to call them on the river for a pizza. Thanks for nothing!