Any day you don't get eaten by an alligator is a good day, so today was a good day.
Today was near entirely dedicated to an Experience Cajun Country day tour. Which in hindsight is an oddly chosen name as the first two of three events/visits were about Creole culture (People born in the New Orleans, mostly of European or African descent, prior to the Civil War (ish)) and only the last bit was Cajun. (People from or descending from a French Settlement in Canada - where Nova Scotia is now.)
...The more you know...
Basically, it was a visit to two Creole plantations and then a boat ride on a bayou/swamp.
The two plantations - Laura and Oak Alley were obviously similar but also quite different. Laura was more a story of a family, and was a multicoloured home (painting your house in bright colours was a signal that you were a French speaking Creole. English speaking Anglo residents of New Orleans ans the area had homes painted all white. ) It was not really what springs to your mind when you think of plantation homes. The plantation is being lovingly restored by a family after years and years of neglect, and still processes sugar cane. It felt more real.
Oak Alley was the grand home you expect out of a movie like Gone With The Wind. Although also Creole, it was painted white to fit in, and the front is framed by a half mile (I think) of oak trees. It was absolutely stunning. It made me want to run around in a hoop skirt, and corset yelling for Rhett and Ashley. It was certainly the more commercial of the two places, and has featured in movies like Interview With A Vampire and Beyonce's Déjà Vue video.
What is obviously noticeable in both properties are slave cottages. I took photos like the tourist I am, and oddly I think thinking about them went in my can't process basket, so I just saw it as a piece of history. No matter even with physical evidence in front of me, I couldn't believe that slavery occurred. That humans treated humans with that cruelty as if it should be completely normal. I think I just switched off. Thinking back now, I feel more nauseous.
Both plantations are definitely worth a visit though for the history and they are beautiful. Oak Alley is the sort of place that makes you gasp from the pretty.
After that we drove into "Cajun country" and got on a little barge style boat and went for an hour bayou cruise, looking at the scenery and throwing marshmallows at alligators. Seriously. When an alligator swam up, it would get a treat or two by the captain. When the first one swam towards us, I went into mini meltdown and was frozen to my seat while everyone else stood up to get a better look. After I realised the alligators were way more interested in candy than Courtney, I joined in and started willing them closer so I could photograph them!
The bayou was also a pretty peaceful ride, although the petrol fumes from the boat were quite strong, so maybe I was just passing out.
This was a day I'd been really looking forward to, because it would be completely new experiences and it was really good. I didn't much like the overall guide (although all the guides at the locations were excellent) but I'd definitely recommend both experiences.
Oh and the day ended with a really cute waiter at Hard Rock Cafe, who got an extra percent on his tip just for that reason. I am dreadfully shallow at times!
Last full day in NOLA tomorrow. It'll be a lazy one as we make sleep catch up a priority!
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