View of Canal Street.

Before we get to 7am in New Orleans, we have to cover the bus ride from Houston to Louisiana. I had a short nap but I woke up before we reached Baton Rouge. We switched buses and a very nice baggage handler carried my suitcase for me. He found out I was from the UK and he said “Wow. What the hell are you doing all the way down here?” Americans sometimes seem quite shocked that an international traveller would want to see their part of the world.

While having a snooze in a seat to myself between Baton Rouge and New Orleans I managed to catch some amazing sights. I had my back against the arm rest on the aisle seat with my feet up on the window seat. I opened my eyes mid-doze to see the sun rising across the great, low-lying state of Louisiana. It was so serene and beautiful that I couldn’t take my sleepy eyes off it.

Sunset in downtown “Nawlins”…not quite the same but you get a general idea!

I was so distracted by the sunrise, I almost didn’t notice that we were driving over water. There was still, blue water stretching in all directions, with palm trees and water plants growing around the road. It was like an extended bridge except the left and right lanes were separate. It was very strange and it took a minute to register in my brain.

I arrived in The Big Easy at (as the title suggests) about 7am. I managed to incur the wrath of the station security guard by asking where I could find the taxis. Right outside the main door, which I was standing next to.

I was eager to see this city, it had been one of the places I knew I wanted to go and my first glimpse of it was at its most peaceful.

Next – My hotel and Canal Street.