Johnson's Bayou

Today, I biked 105 miles. When someone bikes one hundred or more miles in a day, it is called a century. Today, I biked my first century of this trip, and of my life for that matter!

I took Louisiana highway 82 along the Gulf Coast. The beginning of the trip was gorgeous. Unending swamp on either side of the road from Forked Island, where I camped last night at Cajun Diner, to Pecan Island, which is more on the coast. Lots of big, beautiful birds take off and squawk as I pass. White crane-like birds. They kinda look like white Great blue Herons, though a hair smaller. Great blue herons were present, as well as at least three other species of grey to black large birds. I say other eagle/hawk-like birds, and I saw many red-wing black birds including a flock of them. I saw a dead alligator (a baby, maybe three to four feet long), several dead nutra, which is like a great water rat, raccoons, and others.

I was stopped by two separate couples interested in my trip. One of them had seen the article in this morning's paper in Lafayette, LA, The Advertiser. They signed the petition and made a donation. Another man they told about also signed and donated. The other couple was a couple of ladies, Peggy and Zulu, and I snapped a photo of them and I.

On the way, at mile sixty, I stopped at a baptist church to eat some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I packed. A mexican man named Emiliano was working and I chatted him up, he sign the petition and gave me some contacts in Vera Cruz, Mexico! These are actually my second contacts in Mexico--the first I got in Lafayette from a man who bikes, who was from Texas and was working in Lafayette, and wanted to help. He signed also.

Along the route today, I witnessed lots of hurricane destruction--not from Katrina, but from Rita, which took place just a month before Katrina. Towns hit especially hard were Cameron, and all the towns just West of it. Just annihilated. Blank cement slabs everywhere. All remaining structures were severely damaged. A few houses were being rebuilt, but really, there is just about nothing left. Quite striking.

I am now in a town called Johnson's Bayou, which is the last little town before crossing into Texas! Wonderful town--it has a community little grocery store where everyone passes through and everyone knows each other and has a ball just talking each other up. Old to the very youngest, all have a place and all are very verbal. It is really quite stimulating just sitting there observing it all. They made a hot cheese pizza for me and offered snacks. One of the fire department personell arranged for me to get a hot shower at the station and he will let me sleep in a camper he used to use after the storm hit. I am very grateful and blessed to be welcomed and accomodated as I have been here.

They mentioned that just a couple days ago, another biker who apparently was also biking to Brazil! passed through! How did I not know about him? Does he know about me? I have to find this out, hopefully catch up with him. I will be like a detective and a hound figuring this one out.