Bus Trip and First Day in N'Awlins

Howdy Friends!

It has been a day since we left, and already so much has happened. The bus trip was very long, but not as bad as one would expect. The worst part was definitely being stopped at the border for 2 hours. At first everyone was nervous that we were going to be sent back to Windsor, and fortunately that was not the case! It still sucked that everyone had to go in and get fingerprinted, etc. (Dang it! now CSI can find me!) We were very fortunate however that we were the first bus to arrive, because the other buses ended up staying there until ~10pm.

We arrived at Camp Hope, our home for the week, at 10am-ish. It's an old school, and the classrooms are filled with bunkbeds and spiders. There is actually a freaky warning sign at the entrance with a picture of a black widow that caused many of us to be paranoid. Other than that, the camp isn't too bad!

After settling down and having lunch, we all went for a stroll around the neighbourhood. We saw many abandoned houses, as well as spaces where a house once existed. Some people are still fixing up their houses and live in trailers on their lawn. We got a chance to talk to some locals that were wondering why a bunch of people were taking photos of their homes. They told us that the water was 9ft above the ground after Katrina, and that it took 2 weeks for the water to drain. They were living in their boats, driving down the street that we were standing on.
They recommended that we should check out "Shell Beach" to watch the fishermen come back with nets full of crabs, and other poor sea creatures, and to see the monument with all the names of those who died during Katrina.

Alright, it's dinner time! I'm looking forward to writing more about this incredible experience tomorrow!

BYE!!!

-Xena