Monday 18 February
A short ride from Baton Rouge through Plaquemine and Donaldsville and we arrive in New Orleans. As this was our first visit to New Orleans, we obviously had no idea what the city was like pre hurricane Katrina but still over two years later, the aftermath was soon apparent. Many of the buildings at the north end of Canal Street are still abandoned, bear the tidemarks of where the water level was or simply just need to be demolished. Unfortunately, one thing that we are not sure is the result of Katrina or was there before was "Tentville" - a whole load of people living in tents UNDERNEATH the Freeway!

Our digs for our stay in New Orleans is at a house built in the 1800s and it is rather an eccentric building but does have the advantage of somewhere safe to keep the bike. When we arrive and the owner shows us where he has in mind, it turns out to be an empty room which, he tells us, used to be a bar, although you wouldn't really know it! But for us, it serves a purpose.

For breakfast, our Landlord suggests a place, only five blocks back but at quite an unusual location; the LSU (Louisiana State University) Medical School cafeteria, which was a Starbucks! Odd having breakfast with Med students in their scrubs but we were assured it was a public cafeteria!

Once we moved off Canal Street and headed into the French Quarter, Bourbon Street was not what we had imagined. It was very seedy and smelly! Wandering away from Bourbon Street and further into the French Quarter and it is far more pleasant and still holds more of the history of New Orleans. Ironically, the nearer we get to the river, the less evidence there is of the hurricane. So to get the real feeling of the Mississippi, we take a river cruise on the Natchez riverboat. The river is very fast flowing and 200ft deep in places and quite busy with water traffic.

Thursday 21 February
We decide to move on from New Orleans to get to Florida for the weekend. Unfortunately, we awake to a torrential downpour with some pretty severe thunder and lightning. The pavements and road outside the hotel, and even the entranceway to the hotel, are starting to flood and if we are going to go today we need to set off before it gets any worse. We set off on the freeway in the hope that we may eventually head out of the storm but, after two hours of continual heavy rain, it just becomes too dangerous to carry on and we find a motel for the night in Gautier, Alabama.