My latest host in New Orleans, since Monday afternoon, is Phil Goddard, the British man who walked across America five years ago, and whose on-line “how to” was so helpful to me before I began. Richard Noble, who also happens to be walking across America at the moment (for greater equality and human rights)also recently showed up to town. I don’t what it is about Louisiana that seems to be bringing all of these cross-country walkers together, but if I meet any more before the Mississippi border, I’ll have to see about organizing a convention.
I’d asked Phil if he wanted to team up with me and walk some miles together upon my departure from NOLA, and he quickly agreed. He only had two days easily available to him to do so: the first Tuesday and Wednesday of April. So, Phil, Richard & I all teamed up for a few miles on Tuesday. We walked fifteen miles under the 85-degree sun, through “dangerous” east New Orleans (which was no problem at all), and about a mile are so into the Bayou Savage National Wildlife Refuge. The last half of the day, the mosquitoes grew fiercer and fiercer with us. Luckily, four miles before the end of our day, the scattered structures of NOLA’s eastern edge suddenly revealed blocks of a Vietnamese part of town, and a strip mall with three pharmacies. We immediately went inside for bug spray, and bought a small can to split between the three of us. Though we ended up spraying ourselves up and down, the mosquitoes grew so intense that they found any uncovered square inch of skin to bite. They bit through our shirts. They tried digging through our hair. They’re quite the persistent little pests.
As we were entering the refuge, the magical live oaks’ insidious spring secret was revealed all across the roadside shoulders: stinging caterpillars! I was introduced to these spike-filled caterpillars the hard way, when I leaned up against an oak tree full of them in central NOLA a few days ago. They say hello with a large, painful-as-fire sting. They fall from trees, and walking on the road’s shoulder, under the branches, places anyone at risk. Luckily, we avoided them all as we walked through the asphalt mine field of the almost-butterflies.
When I walk with someone new, I can generally tell how strong they are a few hours into the day. Phil & Richard both were very obviously seasoned veterans. Phil hasn’t been doing any great distance walking in years, but walking with him Tuesday, it was like he was simply picking up a long, stored-away bicycle from years ago– he was obviously very comfortable in this role.
“If I hadn’t met Pam, whom I eventually married, on my walk across America, I don’t know that I would have stopped walking. I really loved it.” Phil explained, and this was so easy to see in his steps.
We’re doing some back-and-forth days this week, days in which all miles are covered, yet Pam shuttles us back to their place in Marigny both nights. Wednesday’s weather has yet to fully reveal itself, and possible thunderstorms may affect our ability to walk (or not). It felt weird returning to NOLA in a car the very day we spent hours walking out on foot, yet Pam’s eggplant parmagiana dinner wiped away any “weirdness” as we all danced in culinary heaven.
Loud storms roared into the night as I lay may bedroll down on Phil & Pam’s wooden dining room floor, very ready to get a great night’s sleep. I’m eager for tomorrow’s treasures to arrive…
New Orleans: Fellow Cross-Country Walkers Phil Goddard and Richard Noble
