Twenty five hours. That's how long it took me to get from Miami, Florida to Selma, Alabama. Was it worth it? You'd think that for twenty five hours on a bus (actually three buses because I had to transfer twice) it'd have to be somewhere pretty awesome to make it worthwhile. Maybe somewhere with lots of flashing lights and noises or free beer and pizza? Well, Selma didn't have any of that and I don't think the residents would stand for it anyway.

Instead it was chock-full of wonderfully friendly people. To be frank, the only reason I went there is because I needed to visit somewhere in Alabama to tick off the state. I chose Selma specifically because it's on the Greyhound bus route and was an important place in the civil rights movement so it has history and a museum. But it's only just on the bus route. There's a shuttle mini coach that runs between Montgomery and Selma, taking an hour. I was confused as we arrived at Montgomery because the bus driver announced the time incorrectly, but then it occurred to me that since Florida I'd changed time zone, for the first time on my trip.

On the bus into Selma I got talking to a couple of nice local ladies who were fascinated with my vacation plans (50 states in 6 months, etc.). When I got to Selma one of them offered to share her taxi with me. I thought she was being nice - which she was - but she explained that there are only a few taxis in town and when you book one it collects a few people going in the same direction and you share it, because there's so little demand.

Once I'd checked into my hotel I only had a few hours in the afternoon to explore town before I left the next day. So I set out down towards downtown. I spotted some souvenirs in a shop as I passed so I went in and took a look. I asked the lady behind the counter for help. She told me she loved my accent and asked what I was doing in Selma. I gave her my story and the guy behind me in the queue joined in too. As we were talking I asked where the visitor information centre was and the guy said it was in the library. He added that he was going that way and could give me a lift if I wanted. He told me he was a pastor if that made me trust him any more. I'd already decided he looked trustworthy and graciously accepted. It was only about a mile and a half to the library but I was grateful because it was 92 degrees (33 degrees C) outside.

By the time we got to the library he was completely enthralled by my story and gave me his card and I told him my blog address because he was keen to see what I got up to. So if I'm lucky Pastor John Grayson will be reading this and I hope he'll be happy with my report of his town.

Inside the library I asked where the visitor information centre was and was pointed in the right direction and told by another person that they loved my accent. I got lots of help from the two girls in the library and again told my story which they loved. I had to practically tear myself away from them because it was nearly 4pm and the National Voting Rights Museum, which I specifically wanted to visit, closed at 5pm.

It was only a few blocks down to the museum. Inside I paid my six dollars and, predictably by this point, the girl behind the counter loved my accent. Yep, I told my story again. Then I was allowed to get on and look around the place. I already had a slight interest in the civil rights movement so I found the museum interesting. It had a heavy focus on the incidents that took place in Selma, including the Bloody Sunday attempted march, and then the successful march, from Selma to Montgomery to highlight the problems that black people in Selma had in exercising their constitutionally protected right to register to vote. The marches started over the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which is in my photos.

In the final room of the museum there was a DVD to watch and I sat down to watch it just before 5pm. The nice girl from earlier stayed around until it finished and I left, keeping the museum open half an hour extra just for me.

After the museum I did the self-guided walking tour that I'd been given by one girl at the library who had phoned someone up to get it emailed over especially for me. It was on this tour I saw a beautiful view of the river right near the gorgeous St. James Hotel. The main street of Selma has some lovely old buildings on it too.

That was the extent of my experiences in Selma, Alabama. If I had had more time there are a few more things that are good to see in town but there was no budget accommodation around so I couldn't afford to hang around another night.

The people in Selma are the most consistently nice people I have met during the entire two months of my travels so far. Not just the people that I mentioned I spoke to but, also, people on the street would say hello to me in passing. It's been several weeks since I've been in a town where people did that so consistently.

The only disappointment I had was that as I left I did not have Sweet Home Alabama on my MP3 player because it would have been very appropriate. This was a great example of what my trip is trying to do - I'm seeing more towns not usually attracting tourists and particularly international tourists and, in instances like this, I'm finding hidden gems.