Monday, October 10, 2011

The first trip


A lovely view for a commute, no? The rumble of the diesel engines below tell me different, but looking out over the water for my first ride across the river I can't help but imagine I'm a traveler from another time, crossing the Mississippi to see what adventures await me on the other side. I have been captivated by rivers as long as I can remember, but there is something almost magical about this one. Coming across the ferry to Algiers for the first time and then wandering down the levee and seeing how fast and wide this river is shifted something inside me. It's like I remembered to exhale when I saw all that water, all that possibility. I knew I had to interact with that river every chance I got. 

So I found me a place on the West Bank, not heeding anyone's warning about the inconvenience of the ferry schedule. As many have said, if you are going to be out past midnight, you'll have to take the bridge instead-- quelle horror! To which I respond, my dad always said nothing good ever comes of staying out past midnight!

My first ride was perfectly breezy and exciting. I didn't know pedestrians had to go up top, so I had to do the ferry walk of shame back from the ramp. Tourist! I imagined the locals sneering. Yes, but not for long. 

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