For our fourth workaway of the trip, we have come to the deep south. After easing into Louisiana by spending a few days enjoying the delights and beignets of New Orleans, we arrived into Lafayette on Wednesday on our first Greyhound bus. It was delayed about 2 hours (the journey only took three) but our workaway hosts were there to greet us.
Abigail and Lynn are our very generous and kind hosts who own a small farm just outside the city. The house is a beautiful 1840s home like something from an old film, complete with a swing bench on the porch. They are planning to move to a smaller place walkable to downtown which we are helping them to redecorate, as well as tidy the farm. They, and Monsieur Lala the cat, have already treated us to so many new things – we have a lot to learn in this unique place. It doesn’t feel like any part of America I have visited before.
Lafayette is in the middle of Acadiana, or Cajun country, the land of “yall”, “who dat” and their own version of french. The people are descendent from the french who left Nova Scotia and fled south when exiled by the British. Music and dancing is a big deal here with honky-tonk bars all over the place and we have already been taken to a saloon with a live jam band, consisting of an acordian, guitar, triangle and six violins. Tomorrow we’re in for treat to see a famous local perform, Mia Borders.
And it’s not just the dancehall lifestyle which is new to us, the food is incredible and every restaurant has its own hot sauce. Unlike most places where there are only one or two local dishes, the cajun style food (and creole more from New Orleans area) has so many unique dishes. From po’boys to gumbo to boudin, I never thought the food would be this good!
Hi guys, glad to hear you are having a nice time. I loved New Orleans when I was there for very similar reasons, the food, the music and the laid back lifestyle 🙂
If you do go back to the city I found many a great bar/music venue on Frenchman St.
Looking forward to hearing all the stories when you get back!
Hey Mahesh! Yes New Orleans is such a different city to the others we’ve seen in America, heading back there after Lafayette, even more different to New Orleans! Haha yep Frenchman Street is so better than Bourbon :p
Handy to have decorating skills, you may need them when you get back!
Yep, very happy to learn for that reason!