We made it! That bus journey was the longest one and the last one for me! 8 hours went fast though because we both had a travel tablet, just one because we didn't want to be walking zombies all day. We couldn't keep our eyes open after one, the bus was empty. Ross found the guy across the row from us creepy as he kept smiling to himself and looking at a piece of paper, wearing scrubs. I admit it was a little strange so we moved back a few rows and hugged our bags (just incase) after the first stop we relaxed when he got off. We had two seats to ourselves, I slept like a baby! Had the odd bum shuffle and shake of the leg to wake my dead leg and bum up but that was about it! We got a taxi to the hotel, we weren't even bothering to walk it was so hot even at 8am!! The hotel managed to check us in early about 8.30 after we went upstairs and grabbed some breakfast. It was a little strange the set up of the hotel, the lifts were outside of the reception area, which was in an open 6 story car park. Out hotel was on the 8-10 floors and we took the same elevator so anyone could have walked into the hotel when you think about it. There was a strange smell in the reception and corridors, we figured it out, it was a strong fanta grape smell nice but weird!!
The room was outdated but aren't they all here? They're not overly modern here. They're a little back dated in that respect and even their clothes I mean some people, what are they thinking!! We we changed and headed for the civil rights museum, it was only 10-15 minute walk which isn't too bad for us! The place was like a ghost town though, it's a Friday morning at 9am so rush hour and kids are going to school.. Where is everybody! Nobody working on the building sites either in some places. It's a little eery, I'm not sure I like it. Even though downtown memphis is a built up area of work spaces and hotels it's got a relaxed feeling to it even with nobody about. We thought sure there would be people in the museum.. Nope!
The museum was brilliant, it was inside of the Lorraine hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. Was shot dead. They had kept the front of the motel the same, even with the original cars parked in the lot outside and then inside was the museum, it went through the years of slavery and how the coloured fought for the civil and equal rights in society. The slavery began in 1700s and by the mid 1800s there were around 150,000 slaves in North America, mainly in the east and mid. President Lincoln was the first president to oppose of slavery, but it didn't really completely stop until early 1900s.
They went through so much through the 90's.
It's unbelievable to see the footage of how they were treated by white people. It's sick and disturbing! On the videos they have pure hate in their eyes it's horrible. Gives you a shiver down your spine. There was so much information to take in it's really hard to remember it all! Really interesting though!
After the museum we went down the Mississippi River and ate the bagels and Philadelphia cheese spread we pinched from breakfast this morning so that we didn't have to buy food, we sat under a tree there, again very mellow, quiet and peaceful. Nobody about only the odd person running (stupid person) and cars going passed on the road. The river has such a strong current, the speed the water moves is fast! The strongest currents in a river in the world. We managed to get the energy and walk out in the blistering heat over to Beale street. It's a very wide street and has the old cobble paving on the road. The brick work is old red bricks and you can tell are work and the old fashion era to them haha. The old billboards that are painted on the bricks are still there and you can tell are original because their worn too. I already like this street better than bourbon street in New Orleans. It's cleaner and had a more welcoming appearance. It looks a lot better organised with no smelly bars that are trying to be apart of the Ibiza strip. There are bars and restaurants here with live music playing already at 2pm in the afternoon. They weren't getting much too though as it was empty, the place is a ghost town, other than the cleaners and bar staff.
We retreated back to the hotel for a snooze by the pool, it's just way too hot!
Typical, as soon as we got outside the clouds came out.
Beale street tonight had people on it but it wasn't packed. Still; we were wondering were everyone appeared from! It was so loud, music coming from all directions. Neon light signs outside of the bars, not tacky but just simple. Most of the bars had live bands in them which was nice so that we could sit and eat with some atmosphere. There were buskers out on the street and buskers in the park that was in the middle of all the bars who were all awesome and always had the crowd tapping their foot and dancing to the songs.
We bought a 32oz beer for $5 each, they don't measure in pints over here so when you ask for a pint of beer they look confused and say 16oz? It was the cheapest beer we had bought since we have been here!