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...