You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog...

... cryin' all the time!!

Well, if you haven't guessed the lyric, it's by Elvis AARON Presley, so that must mean i'm one place - Memphis baby!! But as usual, before i rant on about Tennessee, i'll recap my exploits in New Orleans... which has been the first place i'll genuinely miss on this trip!

Words can't explain how awesome it's been in NOLA - just everything about it i love! From the accents (which you already know about ha!) to the food, to the sights and sounds... it's just amazing. After i last left you i took a jaunt to the swamps and bayou's of Louisiana and boy-howdy they were a sight to see! I even managed to stroke a 12 foot alligator. All in all, i saw about 6 gators - ranging from a baby to the 12 foot monster called Brutus. The swamps themselves were a sight to see too - just how still and quiet they were, along with all the wildlife - egrets (heron-like birds), gators, bullfrogs (huge things!) and spiders... the latter were enormous - definitely something you wouldn't want in your hair. It'd clearly eat your head!

And let's move onto the food... i ate the following: Alligator (twice - it's like a gamey chicken), Catfish, Soft-shelled Crab (you eat EVERYTHING), Jambalaya (rice and meat) and Gumbo (a weird thick soup that's ultra spicy and ultra tasty!). I didn't get round to eating turtle, though i would have... same for the frog - my guide in the swamps was telling me how tasty they were - they span about 26 inches!! Christ!!

I don't know if it's made the news over there, but we got hit by a hurricane too - Hurricane Edouard. Luckily it didn't slam into NOLA like Katrina did (by the way - the devastation caused by Katrina is still evident in places - really saddening to see how much it levelled the beautiful city).

It did rain though... and when it rained... it RAINED. I'd packed a kagool with me, so put that on feeling smug, but that kagool was about as useful to me as a condom would be to the Pope. Actually, the Pope would get more use out of a condom - at least he could have worn it on his head to protect him from the rain... as a matter of fact i could have employed the same method of rain protection, though i would have looked a complete knob (in every sense of the word!)

It really saddened me to leave NOLA though - i really fell in love with the place, and i can swear to you that i'll be back one day. I'll bring some of you guys with me too, as it's simply too awesome to not come and enjoy. I'm thinking Mardi Gras time would be good... so we don't risk hurricanes! Though it adds to the fun... kinda...

So now here I am in Memphis! Another 10 hour coach journey over with, and i'm in the 'Mid-South', before heading West to Fort Worth in Texas (it's next to Dallas). It's a nice city from what i can gather. Though i had to change hotel, as my first one is apparently filled with skag and crackheads. Don't fancy that much. Also had ENDLESS people just talking at me again just to hear me speak - met a dude outside the Greyhound station (i forget his name, but know he was 22) and he thought it was the most amazing thing he's ever heard. He was sound. Also had a homeless guy called Reggie show me where to eat - i gave him a dollar. Was a good place too - up on Beale Street (which is where all the fun is!) - and i can now take back what i said earlier about our BBQ sauce being wrong - it seems out BBQ sauce is actually based on Tennessee BBQ, not Alabama. Though ours is still pretty tame in comparison (sorry Jay).

Well, that'll do for now - again i've missed out loads of info, but hey - if i put everything in here then i'd have nothing to tell you about when i'm home! I'm now off to Graceland, as everyone has told me i NEED to go there whilst in Memphis, so i will! Then tomorrow is another 10 hour journey into Texas - i'll quickly be working my way West towards El Paso and California!

Take care folks!

Aaron! x