Sunday - New Orleans 2

Our day 2 in New Orleans began at the Hotel's breakfast bar so we could use the public wifi. We were not going to pay $15! Interestingly wifi was free in the restaurants. We found out that we could also get the free public wifi in our room, so we were set for blogging etc.

Off to walk the streets again before our swamp and plantation tour pick up at 10.30am. We walked up Chatre Street and then turned down Bourbon Street. Well, what a contrast to last night. Many of the bars and restaurants were closed, but as we continued on they began to open and the area began to get more crowded.

Tour pickup arrived and it took nearly an hour to get to the swamp tour location. We drove over a 21 mile long viaduct, over swamps and a lake. Caesar, our bus driver, spoke in a very fast and difficult to understand southern drawl. He told us that in the south here the crops are sugar cane, whereas further north it is cotton. After getting to Cajun Pride Tours swamp boat area, we boarded a flat bottom barge like vessel for the next hour and a half. We saw alligators in the water and sunning themselves, an old trappers hut, egrets and a raccoon which the guide fed with marshmallows. (We were in the marshes, so what else should you feed them?). The guide started calling the alligators and they followed the boat swimming alongside or behind. It was feeding time and as he held chicken meat from a platform they jumped up to grab the food. After feed time he demonstrated patting them, where he dangled his hand over the platform and as they jumped he either patted them on their nose or rubbed under their jaws! After explaining that he always gets at least one snake on the boat per trip, and asked us to keep an eye out when the boat was near overhanging trees, he surprisingly produced a small white boa snake. The snake was passed around for us to hold - non venomous, but with the snake's fangs continuously flashing in and out, I wasn't convinced. Still we both did it, although I was pleased to pass it on!

More floating around the swamp and then he produced a baby alligator for us to once again all hold. He/she (only an internal examination can properly determine an alligator) had its jaw taped,but don't tell anyone as we were both really brave when time came for us to hold it.

It was an excellent tour and Brandon was a good guide/boat captain.

Back on the tour bus and off to the Oak Alley plantation tour. There are 2 main plantations offering tours. One is Laura which had authentic slave quarters but not guided tours, and the other is our destination Oak Alley, which has a guided tour of the house, rebuilt slaves quarters and a museum; and the much photographed ( and used in many movies) oak tree alley or drive way leading up to the house.

The tour of the house was conducted by guides in period costumes and was very informative. The most startling aspect for me was when the guide opened the upstairs doors to show the beautiful oak alley. It was one of those moments, so beautiful and picturesque. Many photos later of oak alley, the grounds and surround sand the camera battery in running down, not for the first time on this holiday. In fact it is becoming a time consuming task to keep our electronics charged!

On the drive in we had noticed the levee banks of which there are so many around New Orleans, to keep the Mississippi River from flooding the surrounding areas. In some cases there is a difference of up to 20 feet between the water on one side of the river and the houses and sugar plantation on the other. We climbed through the fence of the Oak Alley property to get to the top of the levee for a view back through the oak trees to the homestead, very beautiful.

The slave quarters museum had displays and information about their existence in the plantation, working and living conditions and their value to the plantation owner.

It had been a great day's touring and it was nearly 6pm when we were dropped back to the hotel. But we were not done yet for the day!