Waking up this morning I was filled with a warm, happy feeling. This was for two reasons, the first one was that last night I had picked up my wife Cami from the airport and this morning I was able to look over and see her next to me. The second was that I was only a few kms to the end of an enduring chapter in my life, the finish line of the "Journey Down The Mississippi."
Cami and I had a nice breakfast of muffins, sausages, eggs, fruit, juice and tea. We then took off towards Jackson Square. The square was only about 5 kms away, so we took our time along the river chatting and taking some photos. It was such a nice feeling to be walking and not pushing and trying to get as far as possible for the day. We arrived at exactly midday, climbed the stairs from the river, passed the statue of Andrew Jackson and finally placed my hand on those big, beautiful doors of St Louis Cathedral, I had arrived!
I had often thought about this moment, since the very first step I took from the beginning of the river up there in Minnesota. Many people had also asked me "what do you think it will be like when you finally arrive?" This might disappoint some people, but there was no amazing or spiritual moment I received by arriving at those big, old, beautiful church doors. Truthfully the amazing, spiritual moments I had were ON the journey, not at the end of it. Moments with complete strangers who became such important friends, with the amazing wildlife of this country, alone camping on the river or in the forest and most important of all, the moments I shared with God.
I want to thank so many people for their kindness and support. If I tried to start listing them off now, I would be here for a very long time as I was so, so lucky to have come across such a wonderful and kind bunch of people. You know who you are and I really thank you from the bottom of my heart. How fortunate I am to have met you on this journey. I must give one special thanks to my absolutely gorgeous wife Cami. For the amount of support, patience and love she showed me throughout this whole experience. I am so very blessed to have her in my life as my wife. Thank you so much Cami...
I leave you now with much love and with some very suitable words to close this chapter.
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
All coming to an end...
Well I have finally reached New Orleans, I haven't quite reached Jackson Square yet, but I can now happily say "the worst of it all is behind me."
The last few days have been steady going, covering only around 15kms each day. The weather has been really hot and humid, making sleeping conditions pretty uncomfortable and sticky but at the moment I am in a bed and breakfast about 5 or so kms from the French Quarter, so after a shower and a bite to eat, I am feeling clean and happy again. Cami is flying in from Minneapolis tonight, it has been a month since we have seen each other and I cant wait to see her. The saying "time makes the heart grow fonder" has a good amount of truth to it, I can testify to this. Tomorrow we will walk into the French Quarter together to Jackson Square, this arrival will bring with it the common phrase - "mission complete."
I tell you at the moment, to be finally in the city of New Orleans, with the end point just around the corner, it is a very warm, content feeling I have in my belly. I am sure tomorrow will bring more emotions and feelings, I look forward to them and will share them with you tomorrow....
The last few days have been steady going, covering only around 15kms each day. The weather has been really hot and humid, making sleeping conditions pretty uncomfortable and sticky but at the moment I am in a bed and breakfast about 5 or so kms from the French Quarter, so after a shower and a bite to eat, I am feeling clean and happy again. Cami is flying in from Minneapolis tonight, it has been a month since we have seen each other and I cant wait to see her. The saying "time makes the heart grow fonder" has a good amount of truth to it, I can testify to this. Tomorrow we will walk into the French Quarter together to Jackson Square, this arrival will bring with it the common phrase - "mission complete."
I tell you at the moment, to be finally in the city of New Orleans, with the end point just around the corner, it is a very warm, content feeling I have in my belly. I am sure tomorrow will bring more emotions and feelings, I look forward to them and will share them with you tomorrow....
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Wildlife and being thankful...
Looking back over the past few days they have been really good ones, but also, really tough ones. Starting from the 22nd, I was up around 9am to find a great southern breakfast of sausage and eggs with Eugene and Betty waiting for me. I have to say, these two people are honestly two of the most genuinely beautiful and wonderful people I have ever been fortunate enough to have met. Eugene has a sincerity about him that is so rare in people. I consider a true blessing and privilege to have been able to spend time with these people.
After our farewells and well wishes, I was back on the road about to head through, the apparently alligator filled swamps, and let me tell you, the rumors are true. The amount of wildlife I saw through this 20-5km stretch of swamp was incredible. It was no more than 10 minutes after I entered the area when I heard a huge, swish swish....splash, I looked around to see an alligator no more than 3 meters away from me swimming out into the small section of river I was following. It gave me a fright that's for sure, but I was very pleased on another alligator sighting. Little did I know that for the rest of the day I was to come across more than 10 more in that day. Some were sunning themselves on the many logs along the creek, or resting on the creek bed, or some would just follow me along maybe waiting to see if I got too curious to come those few steps closer to be a snack for them. They were not as big as the one I had seen a week or so further north, but I still would not have liked to jump in and wrestle one. I also came across raccoons searching the creek banks for food and many of these huge orb spiders in their massive and very impressive webs. All this really made the 20 or so kms go really fast.
I arrived to the river some time that afternoon, and began to follow this towards the town of Lutcher. It was nice to walking along the banks of the Mississippi again instead of its little run offs of creeks and swamps. I found a great little camp spot at around 7pm. There was a slight breeze which was so nice as it kept those annoying and big mosquitoes away and also gave some refreshment from the heat of the southern night. Jut as I was finishing to set up my tent, the sun, clouds and entire sky began to mix together to make one of those amazing pink and purple skies. From the water of the river to the clouds it was one beautiful image of pinks and purples all over with hundreds of bright green and blue dragonflies darting about, it made for a night which gave me a lot of peace and appreciation for nature and life in general. There was even a little family of some type of animal playing in some logs near where I was seated, I am not sure if there are otters in the Mississippi but I thought I saw something little and hairy (ha, it could have been my brother) jumping around. I closed the hard day of walking off perfectly with a phone call to Cami before I fell into my sleeping bag for a night of rest, it was a very memorable day.
The next day I was up early and heading along the levee again towards Laplace. Walking along the levee is always good as there are may little communities along the river so finding water and food is always easy enough. I made it past the town of Laplace but as I was looking for a place to put my tent I got a bad feeling about the little communities that I was passing. The people would stop and stare as I walked pass, not waving or saying anything but just looking. I got a really bad vibe from it all and decided to get as far away from there as my dirty, tired legs would carry me. Luckily about 5kms further on, I came to a open field which was next to a big machine mechanics, I wandered in and asked the guys working there if they knew the power of the lot next to them. When they found out that I was walking the length of the river they were all about helping me out, Gatorade, iced water was being thrown at me and one of the guys was on the phone to the owner of the lot. I got the go ahead, thanked the guys for their help and went to set up my tent. After two days on the levee, in hot and humid weather I was a dirty, smelly individual I tell you. So bad that I could not even really sleep due to being covered in dirt and sweat, not to mention the bats that were intent on joining me in my tent and kept swooping past my door. It is a horrible feeling to feel sticky, sweaty and dirty and having no way to help it. It really made me think about some of the kids we are trying to help in the neighborhoods of Bogota, and many of thousands of kids around the world that for them, this is a daily occurrence. How blessed and fortunate we are and sometimes need to me reminded.
I was up again around 8am this morning. It was a hard stroll today as the weather made it sweaty and hot conditions. I got to a small town and took a look at myself, and smelt myself and realized it was time for a hotel and a wash. That is where I am now writing this, about 2kms from the New Orleans airport. Looking at the last few sentences in the previous paragraph, I realize how true the statements really are. How many times do we say to ourselves or to our family and friends "we are so fortunate, we should really help others" and immediately after finishing that sentence, sit down to a nice lunch and change the topic and move on with the distractions of everyday life. I do not mean to finish this post on a negative note, but really, how many of us have done something to help someone less fortunate than ourselves lately. People who have been blessed with the essentials, or even the basics in life, like good health, clean water, food, clothing, a loving family, a warm home, I feel have the responsibility to help and care for the people who are not so fortunate, and if we look at this responsibility as a beautiful privilege and not a chore, we could make a huge difference to the world we all share...
After our farewells and well wishes, I was back on the road about to head through, the apparently alligator filled swamps, and let me tell you, the rumors are true. The amount of wildlife I saw through this 20-5km stretch of swamp was incredible. It was no more than 10 minutes after I entered the area when I heard a huge, swish swish....splash, I looked around to see an alligator no more than 3 meters away from me swimming out into the small section of river I was following. It gave me a fright that's for sure, but I was very pleased on another alligator sighting. Little did I know that for the rest of the day I was to come across more than 10 more in that day. Some were sunning themselves on the many logs along the creek, or resting on the creek bed, or some would just follow me along maybe waiting to see if I got too curious to come those few steps closer to be a snack for them. They were not as big as the one I had seen a week or so further north, but I still would not have liked to jump in and wrestle one. I also came across raccoons searching the creek banks for food and many of these huge orb spiders in their massive and very impressive webs. All this really made the 20 or so kms go really fast.
I arrived to the river some time that afternoon, and began to follow this towards the town of Lutcher. It was nice to walking along the banks of the Mississippi again instead of its little run offs of creeks and swamps. I found a great little camp spot at around 7pm. There was a slight breeze which was so nice as it kept those annoying and big mosquitoes away and also gave some refreshment from the heat of the southern night. Jut as I was finishing to set up my tent, the sun, clouds and entire sky began to mix together to make one of those amazing pink and purple skies. From the water of the river to the clouds it was one beautiful image of pinks and purples all over with hundreds of bright green and blue dragonflies darting about, it made for a night which gave me a lot of peace and appreciation for nature and life in general. There was even a little family of some type of animal playing in some logs near where I was seated, I am not sure if there are otters in the Mississippi but I thought I saw something little and hairy (ha, it could have been my brother) jumping around. I closed the hard day of walking off perfectly with a phone call to Cami before I fell into my sleeping bag for a night of rest, it was a very memorable day.
The next day I was up early and heading along the levee again towards Laplace. Walking along the levee is always good as there are may little communities along the river so finding water and food is always easy enough. I made it past the town of Laplace but as I was looking for a place to put my tent I got a bad feeling about the little communities that I was passing. The people would stop and stare as I walked pass, not waving or saying anything but just looking. I got a really bad vibe from it all and decided to get as far away from there as my dirty, tired legs would carry me. Luckily about 5kms further on, I came to a open field which was next to a big machine mechanics, I wandered in and asked the guys working there if they knew the power of the lot next to them. When they found out that I was walking the length of the river they were all about helping me out, Gatorade, iced water was being thrown at me and one of the guys was on the phone to the owner of the lot. I got the go ahead, thanked the guys for their help and went to set up my tent. After two days on the levee, in hot and humid weather I was a dirty, smelly individual I tell you. So bad that I could not even really sleep due to being covered in dirt and sweat, not to mention the bats that were intent on joining me in my tent and kept swooping past my door. It is a horrible feeling to feel sticky, sweaty and dirty and having no way to help it. It really made me think about some of the kids we are trying to help in the neighborhoods of Bogota, and many of thousands of kids around the world that for them, this is a daily occurrence. How blessed and fortunate we are and sometimes need to me reminded.
I was up again around 8am this morning. It was a hard stroll today as the weather made it sweaty and hot conditions. I got to a small town and took a look at myself, and smelt myself and realized it was time for a hotel and a wash. That is where I am now writing this, about 2kms from the New Orleans airport. Looking at the last few sentences in the previous paragraph, I realize how true the statements really are. How many times do we say to ourselves or to our family and friends "we are so fortunate, we should really help others" and immediately after finishing that sentence, sit down to a nice lunch and change the topic and move on with the distractions of everyday life. I do not mean to finish this post on a negative note, but really, how many of us have done something to help someone less fortunate than ourselves lately. People who have been blessed with the essentials, or even the basics in life, like good health, clean water, food, clothing, a loving family, a warm home, I feel have the responsibility to help and care for the people who are not so fortunate, and if we look at this responsibility as a beautiful privilege and not a chore, we could make a huge difference to the world we all share...
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Resting up...
It was funny the other day as I was passing through Baton Rouge, as I usually do when walking, I was singing at the top of my lungs. One always thinks when he or she is alone that they are hitting all the notes and sounding brilliant. Little did I know, as I was singing "Bye Bye American Pie", a policeman had stopped behind me and was yelling at me trying to get my attention. I was able to hear him in between my song, I turned around laughing and apologized. He did not seem to think it was that funny that the crazy, singing man had been ignoring him for so long, but after he realized that I was not from the USA and after I told him about what I was doing he was a really good and helpful guy. He bid me farewell and jokingly offered me a lift in the squad car.
Well yesterday I did manage to get to Sorrento. I made my way through the little town and arrived at the south end of it, finding myself looking at a small Baptist church. I met a guy there named Mike who was just finishing up cutting the grass. He called the pastor for me who came down to meet me. Eugene is his name (the pastor) and he was kind enough to invite me back to his house which he shares with lovely wife Betty. Eugene has been pastor of the Sorrento Baptist church for 37 years now and is a great, and very generous man. So here I am now after going to church with them this morning and after eating a good lunch with them both and their son. Rain has settled in for the day and Eugene and Betty invited me to stay again for the night so that I do not have to walk in the rain. Considering that the next 25 miles is passing through nothing but swamps with alligators and snakes, this is a pretty welcoming invitation I assure you. The comforts a nice home brings are such pleasures. Both the physical comforts of hot water, a bed, hot, delicious food etc etc but also the comforts of good people are so welcoming. A nice conversation and an obvious eagerness to help out wherever they can provides one with so much fuel for the journey, both physically and spiritually it really does. I still really enjoy the time I have alone, time to think, to dream, to pray, to plan, but those short times of fellowship with people from all types of places and backgrounds is always really nice. At the moment, I am enjoying one of these moments.
I might not have Internet for a few days after this, but as soon as I can I will report in again. Tomorrow I will be heading through a swampy area for around 20 - 25 kms before reaching Lutcher where I will then begin to follow the levee of the river to the outskirts of New Orleans.
I spoke to my brother the other day which was great, it had been almost a month since I had spoken with any family from Australia. I am close with my family, especially my brother so this chat came in good timing. He gave me some good advice about enjoying the last part of the trek and I can assure you, I am doing my best to put this advice into practice...
Well yesterday I did manage to get to Sorrento. I made my way through the little town and arrived at the south end of it, finding myself looking at a small Baptist church. I met a guy there named Mike who was just finishing up cutting the grass. He called the pastor for me who came down to meet me. Eugene is his name (the pastor) and he was kind enough to invite me back to his house which he shares with lovely wife Betty. Eugene has been pastor of the Sorrento Baptist church for 37 years now and is a great, and very generous man. So here I am now after going to church with them this morning and after eating a good lunch with them both and their son. Rain has settled in for the day and Eugene and Betty invited me to stay again for the night so that I do not have to walk in the rain. Considering that the next 25 miles is passing through nothing but swamps with alligators and snakes, this is a pretty welcoming invitation I assure you. The comforts a nice home brings are such pleasures. Both the physical comforts of hot water, a bed, hot, delicious food etc etc but also the comforts of good people are so welcoming. A nice conversation and an obvious eagerness to help out wherever they can provides one with so much fuel for the journey, both physically and spiritually it really does. I still really enjoy the time I have alone, time to think, to dream, to pray, to plan, but those short times of fellowship with people from all types of places and backgrounds is always really nice. At the moment, I am enjoying one of these moments.
I might not have Internet for a few days after this, but as soon as I can I will report in again. Tomorrow I will be heading through a swampy area for around 20 - 25 kms before reaching Lutcher where I will then begin to follow the levee of the river to the outskirts of New Orleans.
I spoke to my brother the other day which was great, it had been almost a month since I had spoken with any family from Australia. I am close with my family, especially my brother so this chat came in good timing. He gave me some good advice about enjoying the last part of the trek and I can assure you, I am doing my best to put this advice into practice...
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Baton Rouge, done, next big city... New Orleans!!!
Sadly, yesterday morning I again had to bid farewell to the comforts of a beautiful house and continue on with just my tent and gear on my back. I had been staying with some great friends, Gary and Ralph in Baton Rouge and after some good times catching up, it was time to be on my way south again. I have now arrived in a small town south of Baton Rouge by the name of "Gonzales." From here I plan to get to the even smaller town of Sorrento where hopefuloly I will be able to find a place to pitch my tent for thre night before heading into an isolated strech of this area for a day of walking tomorrow.
Last night I managed to find a little church on the edges of a town called "Praireville." It was a nice little place and gave me a good night rest. At one stage I looked up to the roof of my tent with my torch and realized how lucky I was to be inside it, there were literally hundreds of mosquitos banging into and trying their upmost best to get to their meal (me) inside this giant dome. I thought of when I was doing this trek in winter and how at times I would simply just roll out my sleeping bag and sleep in the open air, well, not a chance i will be trying that this time.
The few days walking through Baton Rouge were good, well they have their pros and cons I guess. The pros are one always has a supply to water and food with all the stores and service stations one has to pass. The cons are simple, the amount of noisy traffic. But one has to take the good with the bad dont they, I got through there unscathed so I will not complain.
Since getting to Gonzales it has been funny the amount of people looking for me, stopping there cars and asking for photos. I have no idea how, but it has been on the radio or television what I am doing and after meeting some young girls and guys the other day while grabbing a bite to eat, and with them putting it all over their facebook, it has been really suprising all the people yelling out to me or stopping with food or for photos, it has been good for a laugh anyway!
Well best get on my way again, gotta reach Sorrento and find a place to pitch the tent...
Well best get on my way again, gotta reach Sorrento and find a place to pitch the tent...
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Closing in on Baton Rouge...
This morning started off good with an interview with some friends on the radio in Colombia via my cell phone. Despite dropping my phone halfway through the interview it all went well I hope, I think they might have thought I was attacked by a bear or something mid interview. My Spanish felt rusty after not speaking it for three weeks or so, I hope they all understood what I was on about! After that I had another interview with the St Francisville Newspaper with a really nice girl by the name of Erin. After some photos and a few questions I was back on the road heading south.
I managed to get to the northern suburbs of Baton Rouge today and hopefully with another good day ahead of me I should be able to get to the southern suburbs tomorrow.
Here are some photos of ther last few weeks that I have been slack getting up, I hope you enjoy, cheers...
I managed to get to the northern suburbs of Baton Rouge today and hopefully with another good day ahead of me I should be able to get to the southern suburbs tomorrow.
Here are some photos of ther last few weeks that I have been slack getting up, I hope you enjoy, cheers...
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Louisiana!!
I have arrived in the final state of the trek, good old Louisiana. And I have arrived with all good news. On leaving Natchez i managed to run into a lovely lady who was working at the pharmacists. She recommended me some good treatments from my blisters and am happy to report almost immediately I started to see improvements and now they have become hard sores which are almost not affecting me at all. I am feeling strong again and have no niggling injuries to report of.
I spent the first two nights in my tent, and with every morning I was having to fight off the hundreds of ants that had thought it was a good idea to share my mattress for the night, luckily they were not the big bull ants we have back in Australia, but still annoying enough and capable of giving a little nip. Apart from coming across the occasional deer and having three or four big thunderstorms pass over and soak me, the first two days went by without any hassles or events. Yesterday however I met a lady named Nannette at the visitors centre in Vaudeville. She told me that she had a friend who lived on a big property about 20 kms further south and that it should be no problem to put my tent there. Anthony was the guys name. He met me along the way and after chatting for a while he told me that there was no need to pitch my tent, that I could spend the night at the house as there was a spare room with a bed and bathroom downstairs. This was music to my ears. I arrived some hours later, wet from a big storm that had passed over and hungry, and at the house was a feast fit for kings. Anthony had invited Nannette and her daughter over and had prepared pork, mushroom rice, two spinach and sausage quiches, sweet potato and a couple of coronas. Anthony - a champion in my books! So after some good conversation, good food and a few beers, I hit the pillow exhausted, and slept well I tell you.
Today I was up around 8am, had some of the left over quiche for breakfast and was back heading south towards St Francisville. I arrived here around 2pm and was met here by an old friend, Gary. We headed out for lunch and a catch up, then retired back to his house, calling it a short day of walking, covering only about 20kms. Tomorrow I will be trying to get from St Francisville to Baton Rouge, this could take me one day, it could take me two.
So all is well, my body is feeling good again, my spirits are high and I am closing in on that French quarter (Jacksons square) in New Orleans. From here on in I will be trying to enjoy the rest of the trek as much as possible. It has been a long journey but now with the finish line almost in sight one can not help but to become a little excited, to get to the finish of course, but even more than that, to see my beautiful wife...
I spent the first two nights in my tent, and with every morning I was having to fight off the hundreds of ants that had thought it was a good idea to share my mattress for the night, luckily they were not the big bull ants we have back in Australia, but still annoying enough and capable of giving a little nip. Apart from coming across the occasional deer and having three or four big thunderstorms pass over and soak me, the first two days went by without any hassles or events. Yesterday however I met a lady named Nannette at the visitors centre in Vaudeville. She told me that she had a friend who lived on a big property about 20 kms further south and that it should be no problem to put my tent there. Anthony was the guys name. He met me along the way and after chatting for a while he told me that there was no need to pitch my tent, that I could spend the night at the house as there was a spare room with a bed and bathroom downstairs. This was music to my ears. I arrived some hours later, wet from a big storm that had passed over and hungry, and at the house was a feast fit for kings. Anthony had invited Nannette and her daughter over and had prepared pork, mushroom rice, two spinach and sausage quiches, sweet potato and a couple of coronas. Anthony - a champion in my books! So after some good conversation, good food and a few beers, I hit the pillow exhausted, and slept well I tell you.
Today I was up around 8am, had some of the left over quiche for breakfast and was back heading south towards St Francisville. I arrived here around 2pm and was met here by an old friend, Gary. We headed out for lunch and a catch up, then retired back to his house, calling it a short day of walking, covering only about 20kms. Tomorrow I will be trying to get from St Francisville to Baton Rouge, this could take me one day, it could take me two.
So all is well, my body is feeling good again, my spirits are high and I am closing in on that French quarter (Jacksons square) in New Orleans. From here on in I will be trying to enjoy the rest of the trek as much as possible. It has been a long journey but now with the finish line almost in sight one can not help but to become a little excited, to get to the finish of course, but even more than that, to see my beautiful wife...
Friday, July 12, 2013
Natchez, Blisters and Alligators...
Arriving in Natchez today I was happy and lucky enough to walk into a hotel for the night with buffet lunch and dinner, courtesy of my great friends in Tunica, Brooks and Dick, who again had connections down here at the "Isle of Capri" casinos and managed to get me all of this, I tell ya I am enjoying it, a hot bath to soak the body and feet, a huge array or food on the buffet with all ya can drink Dr Pepper and a huge bed all for myself, doesn't get any better than this!!
The previous two nights I have spent in a hunters cabin, well, preferably named "Sonnies cabin" and Sonny is the name of the great guy who allowed me to bunk in there for those nights.It was perfect as it is situated right near the 61 which I need to follow all the way to Natchez, it has a shower and a comfy bed. At night time there are deer wandering around and hundreds of little fire flies that light up the night. One of the days after walking, before Sonny and Martha invited me to their house for a great dinner, Sonny took me to where the river runs along behind his house and the cabin, and here my friends is where I saw my first alligator, better yet, alligators. I asked Sonny if there were any in here and it was not a few minutes after that when Sonny was to yell "there is one now," and he was right, a little fellow swimming unhurriedly right next to us. A few moments later we spotted a bigger one, maybe mum or dad worried about their baby being out so late and alone. Being an animal lover it was really nice to see this and one of the things I wanted to see on this adventure. Thanks Sonny and Martha for all the help and friendship and may God bless your missions down there in Peru, it is amazing what you guys are doing down there.
Apart from yesterday where I was rained on heavily for half the day, the weather has been hot and really, really humid. It has been tough going and to make it worse, I have four blisters on my right foot that are causing me some grief. The humidity is not helping as my feet are sweating so much everyday and not giving the blisters a chance to dry up. Three of them have improved a little today, but their is one big one on my little toe that is starting to look nasty, and hurt. Today I only walked around 20kms to try and nurse it a little and I think it helped (great advice Camilita). Tomorrow will be a similar day as today, I will finish off the last 15 or 20 kms that I need to complete the Natchez run, then I will head south towards Woodville, which is about 2 solid days walk from Natchez.
Right now I am off to see if there is a pharmacy around here to get some cream for my blisters, then I will enjoy a nice buffet meal by the river at the casino before maybe watching a movie in bed and then getting some sleep before getting up in the morning and starting back on the track. I just hope these blisters get better as I feeling super strong and want to get some distance behind me, if it wasn't for these damn blisters... oh well, patience is a virtue well learned no...
The previous two nights I have spent in a hunters cabin, well, preferably named "Sonnies cabin" and Sonny is the name of the great guy who allowed me to bunk in there for those nights.It was perfect as it is situated right near the 61 which I need to follow all the way to Natchez, it has a shower and a comfy bed. At night time there are deer wandering around and hundreds of little fire flies that light up the night. One of the days after walking, before Sonny and Martha invited me to their house for a great dinner, Sonny took me to where the river runs along behind his house and the cabin, and here my friends is where I saw my first alligator, better yet, alligators. I asked Sonny if there were any in here and it was not a few minutes after that when Sonny was to yell "there is one now," and he was right, a little fellow swimming unhurriedly right next to us. A few moments later we spotted a bigger one, maybe mum or dad worried about their baby being out so late and alone. Being an animal lover it was really nice to see this and one of the things I wanted to see on this adventure. Thanks Sonny and Martha for all the help and friendship and may God bless your missions down there in Peru, it is amazing what you guys are doing down there.
Apart from yesterday where I was rained on heavily for half the day, the weather has been hot and really, really humid. It has been tough going and to make it worse, I have four blisters on my right foot that are causing me some grief. The humidity is not helping as my feet are sweating so much everyday and not giving the blisters a chance to dry up. Three of them have improved a little today, but their is one big one on my little toe that is starting to look nasty, and hurt. Today I only walked around 20kms to try and nurse it a little and I think it helped (great advice Camilita). Tomorrow will be a similar day as today, I will finish off the last 15 or 20 kms that I need to complete the Natchez run, then I will head south towards Woodville, which is about 2 solid days walk from Natchez.
Right now I am off to see if there is a pharmacy around here to get some cream for my blisters, then I will enjoy a nice buffet meal by the river at the casino before maybe watching a movie in bed and then getting some sleep before getting up in the morning and starting back on the track. I just hope these blisters get better as I feeling super strong and want to get some distance behind me, if it wasn't for these damn blisters... oh well, patience is a virtue well learned no...
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Halfway point...
Vicksburg would be about half way to the final point of thew trek, and I managed to get about 4kms past it today, mentally this helps me a lot as now I feel as if it is all down hill from here. Speaking of hills, I officially left the "Mississippi Delta" today as I arrived to Vicksburg, and it was very obvious that I had. The "Delata" is one open, looong, flat piece of land surrounding the river, but as soon as I hit the outskirts of Vicksburg I was confronted by small cliffs jutting out from all angles, and the long, flat tracks I had been following were taken over by hilly rises. It was hard work but honestly, a welcome change. I am currently in the house of a friend of Brooks from Tunica by the name of "Sandy." She is a lovely lady who has kindly offered me a bed, a shower and a feed tonight which is more than welcome after covering around 38kms today.
I will be heading out towards Natchez tomorrow and it look as if for the next three or four nights I will be in my tent as my list of friends has quite sadly ran out. But I guess this opens doors for more adventures and new friendships hey. If I can get to Natchez in three days I will be setting a cracking pace and looking at arriving to New Orleans ahead of time, but lets not get too carried away yet...
On a personal note, I would like to thank Ray and the folk from Rolling Fork for their incredible, Southern hospitality and friendship. It really was a pleasure and a blessing to have spent time with you guys again. Ray, you are a great man, and the invitation for both Australia and Colombia is always on the table...
8th July, 2013 – Appreciating the small things in life…
I will be heading out towards Natchez tomorrow and it look as if for the next three or four nights I will be in my tent as my list of friends has quite sadly ran out. But I guess this opens doors for more adventures and new friendships hey. If I can get to Natchez in three days I will be setting a cracking pace and looking at arriving to New Orleans ahead of time, but lets not get too carried away yet...
On a personal note, I would like to thank Ray and the folk from Rolling Fork for their incredible, Southern hospitality and friendship. It really was a pleasure and a blessing to have spent time with you guys again. Ray, you are a great man, and the invitation for both Australia and Colombia is always on the table...
8th July, 2013 – Appreciating the small things in life…
After a great night’s sleep in Leland I was up at 8am feeling a lot better than I had the previous day, a little sore around the legs and feet as to be suspected, but overall, a lot better. I went downstairs to say good morning to Miss Charlotte to find a buffet of options waiting for me in the sun room; 10 different types of cereal, danishes, bananas, apples, coffee, orange juice, yogurt, you name it and it was there. I demolished a good breakfast in no time, thanked Miss Charlotte and Steph (who had come to help me get a phone for the rest of the trip and see me off – what a beautiful person she is, thanks for everything Steph) whole heartedly again, readied my pack and was off again heading south.
I am not sure if it was the good rest and whole atmosphere in Leland that gave me that extra strength but I felt really good heading off that morning. It was a good 5 hour trek to my next destination, Rolling Fork, where I had two more friends waiting for me. I arrived there still feeling good to be greeted by Ray and Cheryl and Rays sister Elizabeth. They were a welcome sight. We shared a coke and a good old catch up and I was on my way again. I would return there that night but since I was still feeling good I wanted to get a few more kms behind me. The sun really picked up as I pushed on, so much that I began to feel a little weak and light headed. I was knackered, the sun was zapping my energy, my mouth was dry, I was dripping in sweat, covered in dust and it had just been a bloody long day. I remembered that I had an apple in my bag. It was a big, juicy granny smith that Miss Charlotte had given me for the road. I took it out and sank my teeth into it and this is where the title of this entry began to take shape. At the first bite I was in love with this apple, I could not get enough of it. I had apple juice shamelessly all over my face as I devoured the whole thing in record time. I have never enjoyed a piece of fruit as much as that apple I tell ya. I told myself at that moment I will never eat another apple without appreciating it. This got me through the next 5 or so kms, I then called headed back to Rays for dinner or hot dogs, rice, chilli con carne and a nice, cold beer, that was a perfect ending to a hard day.
Ray had kindly organized for me to stay at a friend of his named Lynn, who has a cabin on her property. The cabin is done in a classic style that one has to see to appreciate. It is an old eccentric, blues, Mississippi - delta style cabin with its own kitchen, bathroom, and great old stereo system with golden oldies playing out of it and to top it all of… a swimming pool!!! Can you imagine anything better after walking 40kms in stinking hot, humid conditions that a dip in a swimming pool in the middle of the Mississippi delta? Diving into that pool was magic, all the pain seemed to float away at once. From there, I showered and hopped into bed and I think I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.
Today I slept in to around 8:15am as it is a tad harder to pull ones self out from such comforts to go slog it out on a hot summers day along the delta. Ray took me to the spot where I left off yesterday and I was off again. I am feeling stronger every day. I am becoming accustomed more and more to the heat and humidity. Although each day is still a real battle, I am starting to cope a little better with each step. I arrived at a little town named “Onward” which consisted of a few houses and a beautiful little store which sold Mississippi souvenirs and lunches. I sat down on one of their rocking chairs on their front deck for a little to grab a drink and snack on some nuts I had. It was nice and pleasant there but time was ticking. I little further up the road I recived a call from someone that needless to say, lifted my spirits a lot… it ws Cami!!! We chatted for around half an hour which was really great. I think that little chat was just as satisfying as that apple I had yesterday, haha! But it really was great hearing her voice, she occupies my mind constantly on the trek and I miss her a lot, this helped me immensely today… te amo mi negrita… So I moved on solidly for the rest of the day until roughly 5pm. This was it, I had covered more or less 40kms and decided to call it a day. I headed back to my cabin where myself, Ray and Lynne sat down to a great meal of beef, broccoli and cous cous. After two big plates of this and some good laughs which is the usual when one is with Ray, I was almost falling asleep at the table. I said my good nights and this is where I am now. Things are progressing well. I hope to be in Vicksburg tomorrow, from there I will aim at Natchez. If I keep this pace I should have no problem at getting to my final destination with as little time to spare.
Appreciating the little things, a bottle of water, a shower with soap, the moment you dive into a pool, clean sheets in a warm bed, beautiful music, fresh fruit, a phone call from a loved one, a bathroom WITH toilet paper, food, a conversation at dinner… these small things have given me such a satisfaction over the past few days that normally I would never have given another thought… how blessed we are these days and do not even know it…
Saturday, July 6, 2013
In a happy place...
Yesterday was a long day heading into Greenville. I did not get moving until around 10am as I was pretty tired from the days before. But after a good days walk with some welcoming cool changes and showers moving through, I did finally arrive to Greenville at around 8pm, tired and sore and looking for a place to pitch my tent. I made my way through the center of town looking for a friendly looking campsite until I got to a hampton Inn on the outskirts of the small city. I noticed out the back there was a nice little patch of grass that would suit my tent perfectly. I went in and plopped my pack on the ground next to the reception and even before I could speak I had a bottle of water thrust into my hand from the receptionist. We got talking about what I was up to and she made some calls to her supervisor in regards to whether or not I could pitch my tent there. She hung up the phone with a sorry look on her face and told me the supervisor had said "no." But she was not deterred, and offered me a spot (after asking her husband if it was ok) in her backyard for the night. So we headed off there around 10pm and on arrival I met her two great sons, aged 17 and 14 and her two gorgeous twin daughters aged 12. They helped me get my tent up in their backyard then we sat around and chatted for a while. They really were a great family who if I wasn't so tired I would have stayed up all night talking to. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out to it.
The next day I was out on the road again at around 8:30am. I grabbed some breakfast at the local store and headed south. I was about 10kms into it when the sun started to heat up again and I began to think to myself "what I wouldn't give for a nice shower, some good food and a nice comfy bed." I dreamed this dream for a little longer before I noticed a red jeep coming towards me flashing its lights. It seemed like friendly flashing, if such thing exist so I was curious to see who was behind the wheel, little was i to know it was the answer to my prayers. Out of the car got Stephanie, one of the people who had helped me out last time on the trek, she had tracked me down again, god was I happy to see her face. After a hug and how do you dos , Steph offered to take my backpack with her and her friends for the day to lighten my load which I was more than grateful for. We organized that I would keep on heading south for the day until about 5pm and then Steph would come back to pick me up and take me back to Lelend, which is where she is from, as they had a bed and breakfast ready for me and dinner reservations at 6:15pm for us all. This sounded great but I had no idea of how great it was too be.
Steph picked me up at 5 as organized, this had allowed me to cover around 30kms for the day which was good. We got to Leland and went straight to the bed and breakfast which Steph and her husband (who is a great guy) are part owners, but WHAT a bed and breakfast it is... I thought we had just pulled up to the White House. This place is beautiful and nestled right along Deer Creek which runs right through the middle of town and is actually home to a local alligator. After settling in there and meeting the lovely 85 year old Charlotte (the inn keeper) who is as fit as a fiddle and I am sure could do this trek faster than I am at the moment, I hopped into that shower I had been dreaming about earlier and washed all the grime and sweat off me. The we all headed out to dinner at the local restaurant. We met up there with a bunch of Stephs friends who were a bunch of fantastic people all full of advice and questions about the walk and a bunch of great stories about the region. They really lifted my spirits after a hard week and I honestly cant thank Steph, her husband and them for that enough. Just having a good meal and a laugh does wonders for the soul.
Right now I am in one of the comfiest beds I have been in for a long time and trying my best to soak up every last bit of these luxuries because I really do not know when I will get anything close to like this next on the trek. I tell you it is going to be hard to leave this place and people tomorrow...
http://www.thompsonhousebb.com/
The next day I was out on the road again at around 8:30am. I grabbed some breakfast at the local store and headed south. I was about 10kms into it when the sun started to heat up again and I began to think to myself "what I wouldn't give for a nice shower, some good food and a nice comfy bed." I dreamed this dream for a little longer before I noticed a red jeep coming towards me flashing its lights. It seemed like friendly flashing, if such thing exist so I was curious to see who was behind the wheel, little was i to know it was the answer to my prayers. Out of the car got Stephanie, one of the people who had helped me out last time on the trek, she had tracked me down again, god was I happy to see her face. After a hug and how do you dos , Steph offered to take my backpack with her and her friends for the day to lighten my load which I was more than grateful for. We organized that I would keep on heading south for the day until about 5pm and then Steph would come back to pick me up and take me back to Lelend, which is where she is from, as they had a bed and breakfast ready for me and dinner reservations at 6:15pm for us all. This sounded great but I had no idea of how great it was too be.
Steph picked me up at 5 as organized, this had allowed me to cover around 30kms for the day which was good. We got to Leland and went straight to the bed and breakfast which Steph and her husband (who is a great guy) are part owners, but WHAT a bed and breakfast it is... I thought we had just pulled up to the White House. This place is beautiful and nestled right along Deer Creek which runs right through the middle of town and is actually home to a local alligator. After settling in there and meeting the lovely 85 year old Charlotte (the inn keeper) who is as fit as a fiddle and I am sure could do this trek faster than I am at the moment, I hopped into that shower I had been dreaming about earlier and washed all the grime and sweat off me. The we all headed out to dinner at the local restaurant. We met up there with a bunch of Stephs friends who were a bunch of fantastic people all full of advice and questions about the walk and a bunch of great stories about the region. They really lifted my spirits after a hard week and I honestly cant thank Steph, her husband and them for that enough. Just having a good meal and a laugh does wonders for the soul.
Right now I am in one of the comfiest beds I have been in for a long time and trying my best to soak up every last bit of these luxuries because I really do not know when I will get anything close to like this next on the trek. I tell you it is going to be hard to leave this place and people tomorrow...
http://www.thompsonhousebb.com/
Friday, July 5, 2013
Hot and hard work...
The last few days have been hard work. The sun has been ripping into me and relentless. I am currently in Greenville and it is getting dark so I need to keep on the move so I can find a campsite. Here are a few more diary entries below...
3rd of July, 2013 – Bobby and Carrie, true southern hospitality…My feet are absolutely covered in bites from my camp site last night. I was only outside of my tent for maybe 25 mins, setting up the tent and chatting to Jonathan and his family, and the mosquitos had a feast. I will have to stay away from campsites where there are water and trees, seems kind of hard hey when I am following the Mississippi river!Anyway, I headed off from Jonathans around 9am and it was obvious it was going to be another warm day, the skies were cloudless and the sun was nice and bright. By 11am I was tired and hot, the sun just sucks your energy dry, especially with a pack of 18kgs on my back. But here is the good news, and the good news name is Bobby. Bobby is a 50 something year old guy who is a police officer who patrols the levee of the Mississippi, and a southern character if I have ever met one. He stopped to offer me a lift. I asked him if there was a place in the next town where I could leave my backpack so I could try to complete the leg with just my water bottles and food. Bobby began to make some calls. Within a minute or two we were on our way to meet the mayor of Rosedale, a town about 50 kms from where Bobby picked me up. After grabbing a bite to eat with Bobby where we shared a laugh and some good stories, mostly coming from Bobby, we headed off to meet Carrie, the mayor of Rosedale. We arrived and were greeted by Carrie who after a few questions about what we were up to, offered me the use of the town hall, which has a shower, tv, air conditioning and a kitchen, you better believe I accepted, I could have hugged both of them. So with stowing my bag there, me and Bobby jumped back in the car and made our way back to the point where he had picked me up. Bidding Bobby farewell, I pointed myself south and I was off again.Walking along the Mississippi delta in summer is hard work, no doubt about it, but there is so much going on along here to keep one occupied that I would almost go as far as to say, I am really enjoying it, apart from the mosquito bitten feet and aching body. Every little river crossing I come to is littered with hundreds of frogs, all shapes and sizes, not to mention the heap of turtles sunning themselves on the banks, they have beautiful long necks and an amazing bright orange color to their necks. At one stage I stopped due to the call of nature, as I was standing there letting nature take its course, I heard something in the bushes next to me. Waiting as quietly as I could I eventually saw two little armadillos come scurrying out. They must be almost blind and have very poor hearing as they almost ran into me and it was not until I bent down and touched one that they took off towards the levee again. They are very cute, but smelly little animals.
So tomorrow is the famous 4th of July here in the USA. I will be spending it here in Rosedale with Carrie and his friends who have promised a good time and good food. Now I am off to bed and maybe even watch a bit of tv which is definitely a luxury on this trek. Let’s hope for a bit cooler of a day tomorrow
.2nd of July, 2013 – Farewell Dick and Brooke…Picture this, it is 5am, I am fast asleep, and I mean FAST asleep, dreaming of something beautiful and relaxing when BOOM, open flies my bedroom door and Dick comes running into my room yelling at me to “get up” and “get changed” “we were going to get breakfast.” I did not know what was happening at first, I was so tired and out of it and thought we must have been under attack or something. As we jumped into the car, Dick informed me that he had been up since 2am fighting a fire in the county and all the local boys were headed to the local diner for breakfast, and this bunch were not to be missed. So I was formally invited by the Tunica fire brigade for breakfast. We settled in and ordered our food and got to chattin, they were a good bunch of guys, a real good laugh and a great example of good country boys. From there Dick and I went back home to ready my gear and bid our farewells. I said goodbye to Brooke, and Dick and I hopped in the car so he could take me to the point where I finished yesterday. We arrived and at my point and as Dick put my pack on my back for me I thanked him and Brooke for being so kind to me and for being such blessings in my life. He said to me very simply “The pleasure has been all mine, and do you remember what Jesus said to his disciples when he was leaving them? It wasn’t make a lot of money, or start a successful business, no, it was feed my sheep, or in other words, guide people and help them whenever you can.” Imagine the difference in the world if we all practiced this simple advice! So I thank you both Dick and Brooke, I can tell you both, the pleasure really was all mine.
From there I headed off, feeling strong and looking forward to what the day would bring. I arrived in a small town named “Lula.” There was not a lot there, so I filled my water bottles and kept on slogging it out. From the outskirts of Lula I made my way towards “Moon bay lake” which was a good 15km stroll. As I was making my way around this beautiful lake, the midday sun started to show his strength, it really heated up, but fortunately a fella took pity on me and invited me into his house for some cool water, I must have looked like I was struggling. This refreshed me and I picked up my pace again, but the sun was still taking its toll. I had knocked back 7 bottles of water by the time I had passed the lake. I was now right near the river and heading dead south. Right here was about the time I nearly stood on a big bloody black snake, probably a cotton mouth the locals told me which is quite dangerous, so I have been a lot more aware from then on that’s for sure.
At this point I was really tired, I had already walked 32kms (20miles) and needed a rest. I found a nice little shady tree to take a nap under. I took a quick nap for about 20 mins and was as good as new, well almost. I lumbered on towards the town, or more so, a group of houses, that goes by the name of Farrell. When I was about 5 kms out of it a guy name Jonathan drove by and stopped to see if I was ok and if I wanted a lift. I told him I would absolutely love a lift, there is nothing I want more, but… I can’t accept for obvious reasons. After explaining what I was up to Jonathan offered his front yard in the town of Farrell for my campsite and also a nice cold bottle of water, considering I was exhausted and out of water, this was music to my ears. So this is where I am now, bunkered down in my tent in Jonathans front yard.
It has been a huge day, covering around 45kms and getting a real taste of the suns power at this time of year. Hopefully I will have a good night’s sleep and not wake up too tired and sore for tomorrows challenge. We’ll have to wait and see…
3rd of July, 2013 – Bobby and Carrie, true southern hospitality…My feet are absolutely covered in bites from my camp site last night. I was only outside of my tent for maybe 25 mins, setting up the tent and chatting to Jonathan and his family, and the mosquitos had a feast. I will have to stay away from campsites where there are water and trees, seems kind of hard hey when I am following the Mississippi river!Anyway, I headed off from Jonathans around 9am and it was obvious it was going to be another warm day, the skies were cloudless and the sun was nice and bright. By 11am I was tired and hot, the sun just sucks your energy dry, especially with a pack of 18kgs on my back. But here is the good news, and the good news name is Bobby. Bobby is a 50 something year old guy who is a police officer who patrols the levee of the Mississippi, and a southern character if I have ever met one. He stopped to offer me a lift. I asked him if there was a place in the next town where I could leave my backpack so I could try to complete the leg with just my water bottles and food. Bobby began to make some calls. Within a minute or two we were on our way to meet the mayor of Rosedale, a town about 50 kms from where Bobby picked me up. After grabbing a bite to eat with Bobby where we shared a laugh and some good stories, mostly coming from Bobby, we headed off to meet Carrie, the mayor of Rosedale. We arrived and were greeted by Carrie who after a few questions about what we were up to, offered me the use of the town hall, which has a shower, tv, air conditioning and a kitchen, you better believe I accepted, I could have hugged both of them. So with stowing my bag there, me and Bobby jumped back in the car and made our way back to the point where he had picked me up. Bidding Bobby farewell, I pointed myself south and I was off again.Walking along the Mississippi delta in summer is hard work, no doubt about it, but there is so much going on along here to keep one occupied that I would almost go as far as to say, I am really enjoying it, apart from the mosquito bitten feet and aching body. Every little river crossing I come to is littered with hundreds of frogs, all shapes and sizes, not to mention the heap of turtles sunning themselves on the banks, they have beautiful long necks and an amazing bright orange color to their necks. At one stage I stopped due to the call of nature, as I was standing there letting nature take its course, I heard something in the bushes next to me. Waiting as quietly as I could I eventually saw two little armadillos come scurrying out. They must be almost blind and have very poor hearing as they almost ran into me and it was not until I bent down and touched one that they took off towards the levee again. They are very cute, but smelly little animals.
So tomorrow is the famous 4th of July here in the USA. I will be spending it here in Rosedale with Carrie and his friends who have promised a good time and good food. Now I am off to bed and maybe even watch a bit of tv which is definitely a luxury on this trek. Let’s hope for a bit cooler of a day tomorrow
.2nd of July, 2013 – Farewell Dick and Brooke…Picture this, it is 5am, I am fast asleep, and I mean FAST asleep, dreaming of something beautiful and relaxing when BOOM, open flies my bedroom door and Dick comes running into my room yelling at me to “get up” and “get changed” “we were going to get breakfast.” I did not know what was happening at first, I was so tired and out of it and thought we must have been under attack or something. As we jumped into the car, Dick informed me that he had been up since 2am fighting a fire in the county and all the local boys were headed to the local diner for breakfast, and this bunch were not to be missed. So I was formally invited by the Tunica fire brigade for breakfast. We settled in and ordered our food and got to chattin, they were a good bunch of guys, a real good laugh and a great example of good country boys. From there Dick and I went back home to ready my gear and bid our farewells. I said goodbye to Brooke, and Dick and I hopped in the car so he could take me to the point where I finished yesterday. We arrived and at my point and as Dick put my pack on my back for me I thanked him and Brooke for being so kind to me and for being such blessings in my life. He said to me very simply “The pleasure has been all mine, and do you remember what Jesus said to his disciples when he was leaving them? It wasn’t make a lot of money, or start a successful business, no, it was feed my sheep, or in other words, guide people and help them whenever you can.” Imagine the difference in the world if we all practiced this simple advice! So I thank you both Dick and Brooke, I can tell you both, the pleasure really was all mine.
From there I headed off, feeling strong and looking forward to what the day would bring. I arrived in a small town named “Lula.” There was not a lot there, so I filled my water bottles and kept on slogging it out. From the outskirts of Lula I made my way towards “Moon bay lake” which was a good 15km stroll. As I was making my way around this beautiful lake, the midday sun started to show his strength, it really heated up, but fortunately a fella took pity on me and invited me into his house for some cool water, I must have looked like I was struggling. This refreshed me and I picked up my pace again, but the sun was still taking its toll. I had knocked back 7 bottles of water by the time I had passed the lake. I was now right near the river and heading dead south. Right here was about the time I nearly stood on a big bloody black snake, probably a cotton mouth the locals told me which is quite dangerous, so I have been a lot more aware from then on that’s for sure.
At this point I was really tired, I had already walked 32kms (20miles) and needed a rest. I found a nice little shady tree to take a nap under. I took a quick nap for about 20 mins and was as good as new, well almost. I lumbered on towards the town, or more so, a group of houses, that goes by the name of Farrell. When I was about 5 kms out of it a guy name Jonathan drove by and stopped to see if I was ok and if I wanted a lift. I told him I would absolutely love a lift, there is nothing I want more, but… I can’t accept for obvious reasons. After explaining what I was up to Jonathan offered his front yard in the town of Farrell for my campsite and also a nice cold bottle of water, considering I was exhausted and out of water, this was music to my ears. So this is where I am now, bunkered down in my tent in Jonathans front yard.
It has been a huge day, covering around 45kms and getting a real taste of the suns power at this time of year. Hopefully I will have a good night’s sleep and not wake up too tired and sore for tomorrows challenge. We’ll have to wait and see…
Monday, July 1, 2013
Back into it...
Honestly, could not have asked for a better day. After a good lunch with Murph, we headed off to the airport to see if the bag had arrived on the flight as promised, and wouldn't ya know it, as soon as I got to the bag area, the first bag that came out of the little flaps was which one... you got it, my missing bag! You better believe I was a happy man. I ran at it as fast as I could like I had found my long, lost lover and gave it a big bear hug and promised him I wouldn't lose him again. After the emotional reunion, we were off to Tunica.
Murph dropped me off at the Museum at around 2:30pm. We said our goodbyes, and I said my thanks, and I was finally on my two feet again and heading south with my home on my back. I had about 7kms to pass until I was going to reach the town of Tunica. After a couple of quick showers had come through and got me a little wet, I arrived to the Tunica Press and went and said gday to Brooke. It was nice to see her again, she is a lovely lady. Seeing as though I still had around about 4 more hours of light I decided to push on southbound and Brooke kindly offered to come down and find me and bring me back to the house for the night. I made it another 20kms down the river before Dick and Brooke finally found me and picked me up. So after covering 27kms on the first day we went out to grab some food and catch up. It has been a good day. I am now in bed and honestly quite ready to turn this computer off and get some sleep. It has been a hectic start to the trek but honestly I can not complain. I could go on a bit more about today as the walk was really quite nice and I also was attacked by two old dogs amongst other tories but I am really too tired to get into it, I promise I will get into more detail next entry.
The friends I have here have gone above and beyond to help me out and it has been nice to be able to spend some time with them, but for now I am getting into bed so I can rest up for the big day tomorrow. I am around 45 kms from the next big town of Clarksville. I would like to get there tomorrow but it is a long way. We will see... for now, goodnight....
Murph dropped me off at the Museum at around 2:30pm. We said our goodbyes, and I said my thanks, and I was finally on my two feet again and heading south with my home on my back. I had about 7kms to pass until I was going to reach the town of Tunica. After a couple of quick showers had come through and got me a little wet, I arrived to the Tunica Press and went and said gday to Brooke. It was nice to see her again, she is a lovely lady. Seeing as though I still had around about 4 more hours of light I decided to push on southbound and Brooke kindly offered to come down and find me and bring me back to the house for the night. I made it another 20kms down the river before Dick and Brooke finally found me and picked me up. So after covering 27kms on the first day we went out to grab some food and catch up. It has been a good day. I am now in bed and honestly quite ready to turn this computer off and get some sleep. It has been a hectic start to the trek but honestly I can not complain. I could go on a bit more about today as the walk was really quite nice and I also was attacked by two old dogs amongst other tories but I am really too tired to get into it, I promise I will get into more detail next entry.
The friends I have here have gone above and beyond to help me out and it has been nice to be able to spend some time with them, but for now I am getting into bed so I can rest up for the big day tomorrow. I am around 45 kms from the next big town of Clarksville. I would like to get there tomorrow but it is a long way. We will see... for now, goodnight....
A piece of good news...
Well last night just as I finished talking to Cami, after an hour and a half on hold with American Airlines, I finally got through to a girl named Lisa. It was the first time I got through to someone who I felt was going to really try to help me out, she had that kind of voice of someone who cares. After a long chat and many phone calls to Miami and New Orleans on her behalf, she finally told me she had found my bag. It was in the hand of someone in New Orleans who was just about to send it to a hotel, and if that had of happened it would have been stuck in New Orleans and out of the hands of the airline. So Lisa got it redirected BACK to Miami as American Airlines do not have direct flights from N.O to Memphis. So hopefully the bag will be arriving in Memphis from Miami today at midday. Myself and Murph will be waiting anxiously.
As I mentioned above I will be heading to the airport with a friend to pick up the bag. I honestly would have gone crazy without the good people around me. From the beginning of my arrival in the states I have been surrounded and supported by amazing people. Matt and Batina drove all the way from St Louis to come and see me and take me back to Memphis. It was really a pleasure to see them and spend just a few days with them. Now in the house with Joshy, Murph and Cameron. These guys are three of the most relaxed, good people I have come across on the entire trek. They have kept me from becoming frustrated and helped me out more than they know.
So myself and Murph are about to grab some breakfast, then we will head over to the airport to (hopefully) grab the bag and then we will start making our way down to Tunica, to the place where I left the trek to go back to my wife in Colombia. It will be a funny feeling to start heading down the river again, it had not really hit me that I will be on my own walking by a river again for almost a month and a half. NOw I am starting to get that nervous but really excited feeling in the bottom of my guts. I really love this moment of being alone with my thoughts, with God and with the only important things in my days being where will I eat, drink, sleep and where I need to walk to. It is a real blessing to be away from the distractions the world provides relentlessly.
I am a happy man, lets hope and pray that this continues with the arrival of my bag - which is my life for the next month and a half...
As I mentioned above I will be heading to the airport with a friend to pick up the bag. I honestly would have gone crazy without the good people around me. From the beginning of my arrival in the states I have been surrounded and supported by amazing people. Matt and Batina drove all the way from St Louis to come and see me and take me back to Memphis. It was really a pleasure to see them and spend just a few days with them. Now in the house with Joshy, Murph and Cameron. These guys are three of the most relaxed, good people I have come across on the entire trek. They have kept me from becoming frustrated and helped me out more than they know.
So myself and Murph are about to grab some breakfast, then we will head over to the airport to (hopefully) grab the bag and then we will start making our way down to Tunica, to the place where I left the trek to go back to my wife in Colombia. It will be a funny feeling to start heading down the river again, it had not really hit me that I will be on my own walking by a river again for almost a month and a half. NOw I am starting to get that nervous but really excited feeling in the bottom of my guts. I really love this moment of being alone with my thoughts, with God and with the only important things in my days being where will I eat, drink, sleep and where I need to walk to. It is a real blessing to be away from the distractions the world provides relentlessly.
I am a happy man, lets hope and pray that this continues with the arrival of my bag - which is my life for the next month and a half...
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