Nov 15 The downpour of last night should be the last for a while as a week of sunny skies but colder weather is forecast. I set of from the campsite and proceed five miles to Jackson town , another interesting little place with some historic buildings but very little in the way of commerce. I am fortunate to be passing through as the 10th annual Louisiana Scottish Highland games are taking place. I am not willing to part with 10$ just to have a look but am able to blag my way in for free. Its all here, pipe bands [View Full Entry]

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Nov 14 Everything is wet and I contemplate spending another night here as there could be more rain today, another downpour in the morning impeeds my departure but I feel a strong urge to press on and cross the mississippi. My stuff drys out slowly and its a late start at 11.30am or so. I have to change my american express travellers cheques and approach 3 banks in New Roads which all inform me in various degrees of politeness that they cannot help me unless I am an account holder at the bank. My Basil Fawlty type protestations that their own [View Full Entry]

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Nov 13 Today my journey takes me almost to the banks of the mississippi, I am well organised after a day of rest an set off at a good lick with semi favorable winds. I am on a road which is off the aca route so it is not so very interesting, but its heading directly east to re-unite with the route. My German friend from Oberlin recommended a campsite in New Roads , 'Jims Campsite' so I head there despite the 3 mile detour. 'Jims' is a lively place with a bar where good drinking folk go and I soon [View Full Entry]

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Nov 12 Opelousas The rain came big style , Louisana style rain reminding me of the movie 'angel heart' which I believe was set in this state, shame that my present surroundings are not as evocative as the movie sets. In the afternoon the torrent subsides sufficiently for me to attend to chores such as laundry and bike maintenance. Did not do much today, watched tv ate a chicken and drank some wine I've been stuck in worse places than Opelusas but none of them come to mind. I hope these blogs go in the proper date order for a change [View Full Entry]

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Nov 11 The rain has been posponed until late this afternoon so I decide it would be best to get out of Ville Platte and wait out the rain in more atractive surroundings. I am now in the heart of Acaidia which is most commonly refered to as Cajun Country , Acadia - cadia- cajun, and the food is good , gumbo, catfish and boudins. The Acadians were originaly French settlers in Nova Scotia but were expelled from there, by the British and suffered a 30 year dispora before several boatloads were dumped in Louisiana, more followed and they were responsible [View Full Entry]

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Nov 10 I am still not fully recovered from the runs and set off rather late for Ville Platte, its only 40 miles but my old enemy/friend the wind has decided to blow from the east once again making the journey seem a lot longer. I have not had a break since New Braunfels and I will have to stop soon to await the forecast rain passing. The jorney is uneventful apart from yet another encounter with two loose dogs who give chase but give up without any negative consequences them or I. The ACA route tends to steer me along [View Full Entry]

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Nov 9th I dont feel too good today , dose of the runs , so I decide on a shorter journey. The cycling is pleasant, through farmlands with plenty of shops and stops on the way. Once again untethered dogs are a problem on these quiet byways and another unfortunate encounter occurs. A little yappy dog gives chase for a short distance and when he gives up to go back to his house he gets hit by an oncoming car, I was in no danger from this animal but but saddens me that he meets his end like this. I get [View Full Entry]

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Nov 8th I am keen to cover some distance today as the forecast for next week is rain from Monday throught to Thursday. I have a tailwind for a change and after an early start I am soon whizzing along at 15mph. I am still in pretty heavily forested territory. The big thicket goes on. The road is dual carriageway with a broad shoulder making riding safe and smooth. One thing about being on the road on a Saturday is that you see more oversize loads than on other days and today is no exception with all manner of strange gigantic [View Full Entry]

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Nov 6 the rain has arrived, but passes over so I get on my way at 10. I reckon that I am traveling just behind the rain so I look forward to a dry journey, my hopes are soon dashed as a second lot of rain comes in and I am, for the first time pedaling in the wet. I dont bother with the rainware I have, since you just sweat inside that and get equally wet. It is not cold. There is never a good time to get a puncture, but this is less good than most , sure enough [View Full Entry]

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Nov 7th The forest , whether itis still the big thicket or otherwise is seemingly endless . There are little oilwells here and there but the trees are omnipresent and at times a little forebodding causes . I pass through Saratoga, the town where an unexplained phenomenom causes a ghostly light to appear on a local road through the forest, it would enice to linger here andsee this but there is nowhere to camp or stay around here. On this journey I have not been attacked by animals other than the mosquitos, however I seem to drive dogs wild , they [View Full Entry]

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