Due to the intense nature of the deep south bus trip, it has been difficult to find the time to sit down and start typing.

A mixture of sightseeing, travelling, partying and lack of wifi has hindered my recent blog postings.

Since Memphis and Greenwood we have passed through Natchez, Lafayette and reached the city of New Orleans.

Natchez was a very quirky little town in Mississippi. Although we never spent a great deal of time there, some very nice locals took us under their wing and showed us a good night out.

Lafayette provided a different style of music in the form of Cajun. The locals are known as Arcadians and in typical deep south nature, we were once again taken out and showed a good time.

The bus tour took us to a bar (more like a barn) called the whiskey river. This has been noted as one of the top 50 bars in the world.

I for one have never seen anything like it. Located next to a chevy and an alligator filled swamp, live bands play the Cajun style which I can only describe as similar to country music. Starting at 4pm on a Sunday local Arcadians dance away until the 8pm close.

When ordering a drink, the bartender will sound the bell in appreciation for the tip you leave.

As the night drew to a close, a group of locals prized me away from the bus tour and we went to party. We sampled some of mamma's Gumbo which is a homemade sausage, chicken and rice soup based dish. We then went out to the local Irish bar where we played pool and drank far too many Jamesons.

The following day we went on a trip to the Tabasco factory on Avery Island. It's the only factory in the world that bottles the Tabasco.

In the afternoon we went on a swamp cruise which consisted of bald headed eagle spotting and feeding chickens to wild alligators. this was one of the most enjoyable excursions of the bus tour.

The trip continued on to the party City of New Orleans. This is where we spent the next four nights. We wasted no time in getting in touch with Mary, Rick and Beth our family (all but blood related). They all came out and introduced us to the delights of Bourbon Street, the infamous party strip of the city.

I would say I've never known anything like it, however having visited Vegas, Nashville and Beale street in Memphis, this scene was no longer a new experience. Bourbon Street is a mixture of all three. The atmosphere is so relaxed, you can order a beer and ask for a carry cup if you're not finished before you're ready for the next bar.

We started off at Cats Meow karaoke bar. This is a none stop party place with both music and karaoke. Mary, Beth & Mum took to the stage and danced to earn a free shot. Us men had to work a little harder as we had to perform a striptease. Although I won't be leaving my day job (whatever that is at the moment), I did earn a dollar in addition to my shot!

We met up with an Irish family off the bus trip and Ross & I were the last ones standing. It was great to meet someone of a similar age and with whom I had a lot in common. At 1pm we had difficulty with our bearings as we tried to navigate back to the hotel.

We got a taxi back to Bienville street, however our hotel was "the Bienville" on Decatour street. After walking around aimlessly we found the hotel but decided it wasn't time to wrap it up just yet. We went back out till 4am and still managed to navigate back to where we got lost on Bienville Street (the power of Jamesons!)

After a late night/early morning it was time to get back on the bus and do a tour of the city. We were taken around the areas worst hit by hurricane Katrina. Although the storm occurred some years back, the devastation is still evident in some places.

During the evening we went on an organised night out with the bus tour which included dinner, a jazz bar and a visit to cafe du monde which is famous for it's cafe au lait and beignets (doughnut type texture). Once again Ross and I branched off and partied on Bourbon Street till the early hours.

This symboled the end of the organised bus tour and while others went home or off in different directions, we decided to stay two more nights to spend with the family. We had a great couple of days and managed to meet all the family including Mary's son Tim, daughter Rene and her family Ethan, Zoe and Jr.

We took a ferry across the Mississippi river and had lunch on West Bank. We also visited St Luis' Cathedral in Jackson Square (pictured). The weather was extremely kind given that thunderstorms were forecast.

We also heard some truths about what happened in the super dome during the hurricane. However as this is not a political blog, I'll refrain from detailing.

On the last night we were taken out to the cue and cushion billiard hall, where Mary and Rick attend every Thursday evening. We were provided a warm welcome from Kelly behind the bar and Beth & I made a terrible paring for pool. Kelly's chocolate cake specialty shots are well worth a mention.

That draws my deep south experience to a close. I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to make it so special and I am certain to return again.

Next stop Miami.