Click here to view our Picture GalleryPaddle trip- Day 3
Today was our last day on the paddle trip. We paddled for several miles in the morning, then said good bye to everyone, and stared to drive back to New Orleans.
On the way home we stopped to look at several other plantation homes. There is one in particular that sticks out in my memory. It was a large house with columns out front. But, the part that was spectacular was the yard. The front yard was very long and there were two rows of tall old oak trees running parallel to each other. The branches from the two rows of trees arched over and met each other forming a "roof" of sorts. So, in between the rows of trees was a naturally covered path. When you looked at the plantation straight on it appeared that the house was framed by the two parallel rows of trees!
As we neared the city Granny mentioned that we would pass what is known as "cancer alley". "cancer alley" is a cluster of factories producing pollutants that are suspected to cause cancer. One of these factories produces something that causes everything to turn red around it. The grass is red, the road is red, all the buildings are red, even the clothing of the workers turns a redish color. The factory stood out in the distance because of its bright color. Granny told us that she had always wanted to know why it turned everything red. "It can't be healthy!" she exclaimed. We convinced her (though it did not take much convincing) to drive through the gates of the factory and ask what they are producing!
No one stopped us as we drove in. Granny rolled down her window and yelled to a worker on the side of the road...
"What are y'all making here?"
"What?!" the worker yelled back.
"What are y'all making here?!"
"Aluminum."
"What?"
"Aluminum."
"Aluminum?"
"Aluminum."
"Why is it red?"
"Boxite. That's what aluminum comes from."
"Balsite?"
"Boxite...clay."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No! It's for pots and pans."
"Pots and pans?"
"It turns into pots and pans."
"Why is its residue all everywhere?"
"That's the way boxite come... you have to cook it and boil it...then it comes out like powder...then you re-cook it...then it becomes aluminum."
"Oh. And, do they let you take a tour?"
"What?!"
"Can you take a tour of the plant?"
We didn't get a very clear answer to the last question...haha.
After our adventure at the aluminum plant we dropped Francis back home. We passed many neighborhoods of "shot-gun" houses. These are skinny, long houses...often seen in low-economic areas. They get their name from the saying that you could shoot a gun at one of these houses and the bullet would go in the front wall and straight out the back wall with out changing courses because the houses are so skinny and rectangular.
Tomorrow morning I leave very early for the airport! I had such an amazing time in New Orleans!! I am going to miss everyone so much!
Sincerely,
Jessica Rimington
On the way home we stopped to look at several other plantation homes. There is one in particular that sticks out in my memory. It was a large house with columns out front. But, the part that was spectacular was the yard. The front yard was very long and there were two rows of tall old oak trees running parallel to each other. The branches from the two rows of trees arched over and met each other forming a "roof" of sorts. So, in between the rows of trees was a naturally covered path. When you looked at the plantation straight on it appeared that the house was framed by the two parallel rows of trees!
As we neared the city Granny mentioned that we would pass what is known as "cancer alley". "cancer alley" is a cluster of factories producing pollutants that are suspected to cause cancer. One of these factories produces something that causes everything to turn red around it. The grass is red, the road is red, all the buildings are red, even the clothing of the workers turns a redish color. The factory stood out in the distance because of its bright color. Granny told us that she had always wanted to know why it turned everything red. "It can't be healthy!" she exclaimed. We convinced her (though it did not take much convincing) to drive through the gates of the factory and ask what they are producing!
No one stopped us as we drove in. Granny rolled down her window and yelled to a worker on the side of the road...
"What are y'all making here?"
"What?!" the worker yelled back.
"What are y'all making here?!"
"Aluminum."
"What?"
"Aluminum."
"Aluminum?"
"Aluminum."
"Why is it red?"
"Boxite. That's what aluminum comes from."
"Balsite?"
"Boxite...clay."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No! It's for pots and pans."
"Pots and pans?"
"It turns into pots and pans."
"Why is its residue all everywhere?"
"That's the way boxite come... you have to cook it and boil it...then it comes out like powder...then you re-cook it...then it becomes aluminum."
"Oh. And, do they let you take a tour?"
"What?!"
"Can you take a tour of the plant?"
We didn't get a very clear answer to the last question...haha.
After our adventure at the aluminum plant we dropped Francis back home. We passed many neighborhoods of "shot-gun" houses. These are skinny, long houses...often seen in low-economic areas. They get their name from the saying that you could shoot a gun at one of these houses and the bullet would go in the front wall and straight out the back wall with out changing courses because the houses are so skinny and rectangular.
Tomorrow morning I leave very early for the airport! I had such an amazing time in New Orleans!! I am going to miss everyone so much!
Sincerely,
Jessica Rimington
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