28 juillet, 2002

I took some notes during the return plane trip from Memphis... took them in english because I have been struggling to speak and think this way for days... My short visit to New Orleans was at the same time delightfull (the Olivier  House) and deceptive. It seemed a place where the youth of cities and villages from the "red neck" south are coming to transgress, for the weekend, the mom and pop's rules... A few good blues bars, more good meals than what I saw elsewhere. The moment I prefered : at 8:00 AM the monday morning, the bar tenders were hose-washing sidewalks aroud the bars as the sun did not have, yet, kicked the night's freshness out of the street... the city is awakening and the coffee, at La Marquise, was my first good one since crossing the border (four days ago). The Greyhound buses, from Memphis TN to Cleveland MS were simply dirty. I cannot imagine this kind of service here in Canada... In fact, yes I can. I just wish the service will never drop this low ! But the toughest part was my last night in Memphis. I did not want to pay 70$ US just to sleep a night in a fridge : I already did that in Jackson... So I aasked my taxi driver if he knew some cheaper places. After all, all I wanted was clean sheets and few hours of sleep. The first part of the deal was OK... He took me to the 'Lamplighter' where you could have a room for 35$ US. Having visited 4 other motels (priced from 75 to 66 $) I decided this one would do. The bed-linen was clean but... the floor in the bathroom was so sticky, I did not want to go barefoot... the curtains looked like a used Saran Wrap coming out of the microwave... This was just placing the set for the behaviour of the neighbors ! I still had the doorknob in my hand, coming in the room, as the phone rang. Here was a young girl asking if I wanted some company ! "No thanks, I'm just here to sleep" but looking around, I was begining to doubt it was the first use of this room ! I finally managed to get to sleep, after another burger with fries... just to be awakened by midnight by a fight in the parking just facing my room. I decided to stay quiet, not even looking by the window : being most probably the only white in the place, I wanted to avoid any provocation ! Other fights in other rooms... another one in the parking... and a phone at 3 AM asking if it was me doing all this ramdam (&?!?*&) completed my night. As my taxi driver said, driving me to the airport : we only get what we pay for ! Will I opt for the 70$ room next time ?? Don't know ! I may have slept a 'sliced-night' but I gain 50$ CAN in my pocket !   11:55:56 PM