I THINK I left you folks in Natchez last week – it’s hard to know what day it is when you’re halfway round the world.
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It’s been a fun trip though, with lots of interesting adventures along the way.
Our day at St Francisville was what you could only describe as a life-changing experience. May I suggest you check out a book called Cain’s Redemption, by Dennis Shere.
It tells the story of the transformation of America’s bloodiest and most brutal prison, The Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, thanks to a forward-thinking former teacher, Burl Cain.
Warden Cain is the longest to serve in that position and is the polar opposite of the old “lock ’em up and throw away the key” types who preceded him in the job.
His innovative approach to rehabilitating and empowering prisoners, giving them purpose in life and the opportunity to learn all manner of skills, trades and vocations, thriving in the jail environment, is something Australia should consider in our overcrowded penal system.
We were all deeply moved by the experience, seeing how things used to be compared to how they are today under Warden Cain’s rule.
Visit Google and type in “Angola” and you’ll learn some more about this powerful story of redemption.
Our second last excursion was to the city of Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana. The museum was a must-see, painting a broad palette of a fascinat-
ing city’s struggles, triumphs, industry, heritage, music, sport and everyday life.
Many buildings in Baton Rouge were built by Senator Huey Long, who was eventually assassinated by a respected local surgeon in the 1930s. There are statues of Long all over the city – it’s often said power corrupts – as was the case with this bloke.
The new Capitol building (with yet another statue of Long outside it) offered a 360-degree view of the city. The day we visited, the legislative assembly passed the medical marijuana bill. The Tamworth mob thought that was pretty special to be there on that historic occasion.
Our final day’s outing on the steamboat was at Nottaway Landing, home of the beautiful Nottaway plantation house, where you’re guided around the elegant home by a volunteer dressed in period costume, hearing how it was to live, work and survive when the world was a different place.
It was a pretty sad occasion the following day as we disembarked from this luxurious vessel, only to begin another adventure in the city of New Orleans.