Nathan's Insights

World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas


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Flight Reviews | Lounge Reviews | Destinations | Short Breaks | World Trip 1986 | World Trip 1998 | World Trip 1999-2000 | World Trip 2006 | World Trip 2009 | World Trip 2009-10 | World Trip 2010 | World Trip 2011 | World Trip 2012-13 | World Trip 2015 | World Trip 2016 | World Trip 2017 | World Trip 2017-18 | World Trip 2018 | World Trip 2019 | Australia 2022 | World Trip 2023 | World Trip 2024 | World Trip 2024-25 | World Trip 2026-27

  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 31 –Nashville, USA

    Friday 10 December 1999
    Highlights: Purchasing warmer clothes

    Jon and I spent most of the today exploring the city.  I purchased a Nashville jumper and thermal under-shirt as it is getting a lot colder now.  We visited the local city library for their free internet access to check out Greyhound bus schedules and answer e-mails.  A nice bonus for tourists.

    We caught the 4.15 pm bus to Savannah which we were not originally going to visit but we are saving a lot of time catching overnight buses so we can add in additional activities and places instead of losing time travelling from place to place.

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 30 –Nashville, USA

    Thursday 9 December 1999
    Highlights: National Football League match, Country and Western Music

    I attended my first ever American sports game today, the National Football League match between the Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders.  The home team won 21-14 after a slow first half which had no scores.

    We bought the tickets from a scalper for below cost by waiting until the match had actually just started.  He wasn’t happy but at least he got something for the tickets.  It felt like going to a big AFL match with 65,000 people in attendance.  The TV timeouts for commercials and the cheerleaders however told me I was in a foreign land 🙂

    The next stop was to visit some bars for live country and western music.  Nashville is much more alive with people, energy and activities compared to Memphis.  It is easy to see why people who like country and western love this place.

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 29 – Memphis to Nashville, USA

    Wednesday 8 December 1999
    Highlights: Elvis Presley Graceland visit

    Luckily today we got to visit Graceland and visit the home of the King.  The tour was different to what I expected in that you only heard of all the good things in Elvis’ life, his records, awards, movies and army career.  However despite not getting the full picture I’d still recommend a visit to Graceland even if you aren’t a fan of the King.

    The bus ride to get to Graceland went through and even more depressing area.  I now understand why there isn’t a backpacker’s hostel in this area.

    We caught a later afternoon bus to Nashville which again didn’t have a hostel so we set off to find a cheap motel only for a local to stop us and warn against walking into the dangerous area ahead!  With our Memphis experience still in mind we set off for the far more expensive, and nicer, Quality Inn.  At $49.95 plus tax it costs more to stay here but safety is more important.  The USA is a worry sometimes especially around poorer areas.

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 28 – Memphis, USA

    Tuesday 7 December 1999
    Highlights: Economic despair of the area 😦

    The overnight Greyhound bus got in around 7 am and we had to walk to the cheapest motel we could find in the area since there are no hostels in Memphis for some reason.  We ended up staying at the Admiral Benbow Inn which charged $29.95 which is way too much for such a terrible place.

    Walking around the CBD you could see and feel the economic despair as it seemed everything was closed down including a MacDonald’s!  Venturing down to the Mississippi River we found that the riverboat wasn’t operating.  Next stop was Mud Island which was shut for development.

    Unfortunately we couldn’t visit Graceland today as it too is shut on Tuesdays.  Walking down the famous Beale Street, the home of blues music, and again there was almost no activity.  We had at least seven people beg us for money.  Totally depressing area which felt unsafe and somewhere you would not bring a family to.

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 27 – New Orleans to Memphis, USA

    Monday 6 December 1999
    Highlights: Voodoo and New Orleans Crypts

    A late start to the day getting up around 9.30 am.  Today we went on the Voodoo / Cemetery walking tour.  Our guide explained how voodoo developed in New Orleans and how it has partially merged with Christian briefs to ensure local acceptance or at least some tolerance.

    Voodoo is based on the belief that everything has a spirit or force and how you can pull good things to you and keep bad things at bay.  It is rarely about voodoo dolls and curses.

    The New Orleans Cemetery is unlike any that I’ve experienced before.  Because the nearby Mississippi River used to regularly flood the locals could not bury the dead underground as they would be washed away.  As a result they had to ‘bury’ people above ground in crypts.

    Today marked the quarter stage of this world trip and the start of another overnight bus ride to Memphis.

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 26 – New Orleans, USA

    Sunday 5 December 1999
    Highlights    : Louisiana State Museum, Jazz.

    The 10 people in our dorm certainly made a lot of noise last night, I wonder if I’ll ever get used to this way of sleeping being woken up several times each night.

    We started the day with a walking tour of the French Quarter. The tour was fantastic pointing out how New Orleans developed and who influenced it.

    Jackson’s Square needs to be seen to be believed. There were tarot card readers, musicians, clowns and painters all applying there trade. The place was really alive.

    We had a small ‘lunch’ at Cafe du Monde consisting of bagnets, basically doughnuts with lots of powder super. Great taste and surprisingly filling, you get 3 for every order.

    Next up we visited the Cabildo which is home to one of the branches of the Louisiana State Museum which covered the history of New Orleans from Native American Indians to today’s Jazz city. New Orleans has been ruled in order by; France, Spain, France and the USA. During the Civil War the Union (aka North) occupied New Orleans.

    New Orleans was also the site of the first major British defeat during the War of Independence under General Jackson, later President Jackson.

    One third of the current USA was purchased from France here in New Orleans which is now known as the Louisiana purchase. New Orleans is the second biggest port in the USA because of the Mississippi River and has a rich history.

    While waiting for it to get dark we caught the new Kevin Smith movie ‘Dogma’ which was quite good. For dinner we had the local dish Gumbo which is a combination of rice, soup, chicken, vegetables with other mi or food stuff added in!

    We then visited the Preservation Hall and listened to classic Jazz for about 3 hours into the night. I’m not a big Jazz fan but when played well it is truly excellent. Lastly we had a ‘Hurricane’ at Pat O’Brien’s. This drink is mostly rum and is very strong. You have to drink it very strong or give up walking. Great day.

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 25 – New Orleans, USA

    Saturday 4 December 1999
    Highlights    : Street Car, French Quarter, Classic Jazz

    We got in around 9 am after a 12 hour bus trip from Dallas. It appears that in general Americans can be a little short tempered with bad attitudes, at least on long bus rides. They are definitely more assertive standing up for what they see as there rights.

    The bad news was our hostel beds turned out have bed bugs. Luckily we had only gone to sleep for around 10 minutes when a backpacker woke up screaming about them. I ended up with only a few bites, this poor guy looked like he had many hundreds of bites. The hostel moved us to a better dorm minus our little guests.

    After a few hours sleep and a much needed shower we headed out to see the town. We caught a local Street Car (aka as a tram back home) from the hostel to the famous French Quarter. Lots of houses sporting foreign designs not like anything else I have seen in the USA. We had dinner at the Quarter Scene, the grilled chicken was perfect.

    Later we strolled down Bourbon Street. Everything seems to be for sale here including entry to strip clubs and possibility illegal drugs. Entering a club we had a few expensive beers and listened to some excellent Jazz.

    On the way back to the hostel a con artist tried to scam me exactly as per the Lonely Planet guide warning. Excellent!

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 24 – San Antonio to New Orleans, USA

    Friday 3 December 1999
    Highlights    : The Alamo, Garden River at night.

    Today we visited the world famous Alamo. We learned about its long history as a missionary it’s major role in the Texas / Mexican War of Independence. The Texas force was outnumbered 6 to 1 but held on for 13 days. This battle ended up costing Mexico dearly. Texans were enraged T how General Santa Anna slaughter prisoners of war and how he burned the bodies instead of urging them.

    Before our bus ride we went down to the Garden River to check it out at night. It was a fantastic sight possibly made better by all the out of town gridiron fans who were visiting from Nebraska. The whole river pathway was covered with different kinds of lights with a hint of Christmas coming.

    This turned out to be a very good day. Now for the12 hour overnight bus ride.

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 23 – San Antonio, USA

    Thursday 2 December 1999
    Highlights    : Garden River

    Today was decision day, either get a car or get a travel pass to travel around the USA. after checking prices we went for the Greyhound America Pass which at $479 each for three months was great value.

    While this took most of the day we did visit find time to visit the local library for free Internet access so we could answer emails from the last week. The Internet helps lessen the feeling of being so far away from home.

    We also walked down to the Garden River which goes right though the city. While nice during the day locals stated it really comes alive at night. Our walked took us past the Alamo but our in depth visit there is for tomorrow.

    Acting like crazy people we decided to catch the bus to New Orleans tomorrow night at 9.30 pm which saves us on accommodation since it takes 12 hours. Lets see if that is a wise decision. The overnight bus trips actually then add an extra day at each location we travel that way for.

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  • World Trip 1999-2000: Day 22 – Dallas to San Antonio, USA

    Wednesday 1 December 1999
    Highlights    : JFK Sixth Floor Museum.

    We could not get the AAA membership today so it felt like we wasted a bit of time trying to organise this and purchase of a car. We did however do a lot of walking around Dallas to take in the sites.

    We visited the excellent Sixth Floor Museum formerly known as the Texas School Book Depository from which President John F Kennedy was shot. The museum had an enormous amount of information on what happened on that day and the consequences on America. We displays and documentaries were very detailed and moving at times. The museum also included information on Kennedy’s years as President. Well worth a visit.

    So with no car purchase it will be the bus for use to get around USA, the plan is to try to do the longer trips overnight to save on accommodation.  So we caught a five hour Greyhound bus to San Antonio and just managed to get to the hostel as they were shutting their doors. Staying once again in a dorm room, this time with 16 other people is certainly different from motel stays!

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