Yesterday morning we walked down to the French Market, which is the oldest markers in the USA, first built in 1791! Chatted for a while with an artist there called Oscar. He handmade really coll, colourful badges and earrings, and said he was down at the market almost everyday, even when there was hardly anyone else around. On friday the winds were so bad there were only about 4 stalls out, but Oscar said he loved what he did so much (hes been doing it for 19 years!) that he came down anyway. I like that - life is short, so you should spoend it doing something you love!

We ate lunch at the Market Restaurant, and listended to a jazz band called the "Decatur Street Band". They dedicated a song ("You'll know what it means, to miss new orleans") to HOuston, which was hit by Hurricane Ike today. It was so amazing to sit there, soaking up the oh-so New Orleans atmosphere, listening to Jazz right by the Mississippi! I can't properly articulate how lucky I felt to be there! Even though I could see the terrible effects of Katrina still in the buildings, you could not tell by the spirit of the people. Everyone seems to possess such a positive attitude - Let the Good Times Roll -

We wandered down Jackson square. exploring all the cool voodoo shops on the way. It was so cool to explore all the weird and wondefuyl items crammed onto the shelves, in between alligator heads and tie-dye skirts. We went into a gallery of an artist called Jamie Hayes (the streets are teeming with artists, which only intensifies the rainbow). Hayes had been displaced by the hurricane for nearly a year and a half, but now he has returned. He had such quirky, colourful do0lls and paintings, John bought one he has named "Voodoo".

On Saturday night I got VERY sick off our homemade margaritas! I couldn't even leave the house - eurgh! This morning I was NOT feeling too good lol, but luckily I was somewhat fine by the time we reached Cajun Jacks Swamp tours! The guy was hilarious - such a character. He had a deep curnchy voice and a habit of barking like a dog just before he started up the boat after every stop. The area was really very beautiful, with random little shacks every now and then within the wilderness. Cajun Jack entertained us all with corny jokes and funny stories. According to him, it is a blessing when a dragonfly lands on you - I got blessed LOADS! Sailing down the bayou, everyone smiled and waved at us. We passed two guys in a tiny fishing boat, yet they had a deck chair AND their labrador on board!

We stuffed our faces at an all-you-can-eat place, anmd the waitress couldn't get enough of David's habit of saying "Fo' Sho'" in his broad Northern accent.

When we got to our campsite it was closed because it had been completely flooded! We ended up staying at a cmapsite by Lake Charles, and we were all eaten alive by the mossies! Cooked sausages on the campfire.