Day 34 New Orleans, Louisiana

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Stats
Daily mileage 124 (New record) Ride Time 8hr 23min
Avg speed 14.75 mph Total mileage 2433

If I was wearing a hat I would take it off, if I could reach I would pat myself on the back and if I was sitting down I would stand up in a display of appreciation as to how well I rode today. When I woke up this morning I tried to roll out the left side of the bed but it hurt my body. I then tried to roll out the right side but it still hurt. I ended up shuffling down the end of the bed like a caterpillar and gradually stood up. My entire body was sore from yesterdays effort but I had another big day planned.

I went across the road to a diner and ordered my breakfast at about 0530hrs. At about 0610hrs it finally arrived on my table so I scoffed it down as the sun was coming up and I wanted to be on the road. I checked out and was on the road and noticed the wind had changed and was now a cross wind which would be very helpful when had to turn SE. I spent the first 90 mins burping up little chunks of breakfast. I ate so much and far too fast as well. My stomach finally settled and when I reached the Mississippi river I decided not to cross it at that point as I would have had to navigate my way through Baton Rouge during rush hour which would have been very time consuming.

As soon as I turned SE the wind knocked my speed upto 20mph and life was great. The miles clicked by and I had completed 100 miles by 1300hrs. I inadvertently turned onto the road that meant I had to cross the Mississippi river but it was not as bad as I thought. Despite having no hard shoulder the cars and trucks were, for once forgiving, and gave me plenty of space.
As I approached New Orleans the traffic was beginning to get congested and dangerous. After receiving endless hand signals and horn beeps I got to a junction that split into the motorway. This was really one place I did not want to be. I got on the road that I thought was the best option and got off at the next available place. I then started cycling through some very interesting neighbourhoods. Last night I watched the classic film Boyz in da Hood, and could swear the film had been filmed in this location.

I stopped and asked for some direction and eventually recovered my bearings and located my friends house. Mentally and physically drained I sat on the doorstep and relaxed. That was some of the most stressful riding I had experienced since I left San Francisco. My hosts were not supposed to be home yet but I thought I would knock on the door anyway. To my surprise, Kayla had got home early and gave me a lovely welcome. Her husband, Duffy, returned from walking the dog and we had a beer together.

We all went out to a cool bar where they served greasy food and a huge variety of beers. Feeling quite overwhelmed and tired we only stayed for a few hours. We returned to their house where I experienced the power of the Wii machine. It was great fun and I was so happy to be here and the thought of not getting on the bike tomorrow kept a smile on my face all evening.