Create Our World

Smoothie King near LSU.

 ”To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

Here are photographs from my stay in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge means “tall red pole” in French.  In 1699,a French explorer named Iberville sailed up the Mississippi and reported a tall red pole, supposedly marking the boundary between two indian tribes.

Meet Scott.

In Baton Rouge, I bunk up with a geography student at LSU, named Scott.  Scott is on the rowing team, into ambient music, loves meeting new people, and is planning a bike trip from Baton Rouge to California.  The trip will be after he graduates.  Scott shows me around in between practice and class.  We eat a free lunch of jambalaya at a local church.

Statue in Downtown Baton Rouge.

The State Capitol.

Tommorrow, I am going to continue heading west towards Texas.

Create Our World.

Ben

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.  The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

Leaving New Orleans.

“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi

 

Today, I pack my stuff and leave 4320 Coliseum.  Leaving is always tough.

I catch a trolley out to a bus station and catch the bus that goes to the airport.  This takes me most of the way out of New Orleans.  I walk through some neighborhoods to get further out and find a good on ramp.

Meet Mike.

Mike isn’t going far.  Laplace, LA.  It is about 15 miles away.  Mike grew up here and has lived here all his life.  He says it is not in a swamp which is required by me.  It is also out of the sprawl of New Orleans.  

We drive on a bridge that goes over the swamp.  Swamps are spooky.  

Mike’s step dad just died recently.  He died from lung cancer.  Mike quit smoking 16 days ago because of this.  He is proud of this.  The Laplace exit is pretty good.

Meet Devin.

The people seem more reluctant to pick me.  But as the sun is closing in on the horizon, a car stops.  Devin is headed to Baton Rouge.  This will take me about 60 miles west of New Orleans.  I hop aboard.

An Abstractor.

Devin is an abstractor.  She explains what this is to me.  I don’t understand fully.  She works for an oil company and helps decide how much to pay certain people.  That is the best I got.  If you know, please extrapolate on this definition.

Baton Rouge.

Devin is from Baton Rouge.  Devin has thought about backpacking in Europe, but is scared.  “What if someone thinks I’m cute and…”  Devin is going back to school though to study finance.  She is not sure how long she will be needed with oil companies.  

Devin explains a little about Baton Rouge to me.  Louisiana State University is there.  It has a significant amount of crime.   She thinks I might be able to stay at a house that her Dad owns and is fixing up.  I decline.

I have Devin drop me off 10 to 15 miles south of Baton Rouge.  There is still plenty of rural areas for me to camp.  The Blue Bayou Water Park is nearby.  Closed for the winter though.

Tommorrow, I will try to stay in Baton Rouge for a few days.  I set up a host there with a college student named Scott.

Create Our World.

Ben

“The journey is my home.” – Muriel Rukeyser