Day 78

I woke early and hungry. Checking my phone I found my breakfast choices were very limited, the bed and breakfast places in town ensure a slim number of tourists are looking for a breakfast spot. I walked up the deserted Main street taking in all the old buildings and historical information displayed on the many markers located in the area. I enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Natchez coffee shop before walking back towards my room to pack up the canoe. I packed up my bag and turned in my room key before heading down the steep ramp to the boat. The sky was overcast but I had not bothered to check the radar. I had to make one last trip up the hill to fill the water container and just as I finished the sky let loose a wall of water. I sat on the front porch of the saloon and watched the rain pour for about an hour. I looked at the radar and was disappointed to see large band of heavy rain storms was going to be passing over the area all day. Just as a slight break in the rain came the bartender asked if I wanted to rent the room for another night because someone was on the phone wanting it, I told her I needed it one more night. I walked down to the canoe, unloaded my pack, and stacked everything else to side and flipped the canoe over the top of everything. By the time I made it back up the hill I was soaked to the bone. I changed into dry clothes before returning to the saloon. Under the Hill Saloon has no TVs so looking at the various items lining the wall or talking to someone is how you pass the time. I tried to talk to a few groups of tourists but they did not speak English and I don't speak German or French so it was a wash. Back at the bar I meet two nice ladies from the Baton Rogue area who had come to town the day before to meet friends who make a yearly trip to Natchez. I told them about my trip and we passed several hours and beers discussing my adventure and life in general. They offered to help me when I pass through Baton Rogue in the next few days. The band had started around 4 and the saloon filled up with locals visiting and dancing to the band. I meet the owner of the saloon and he told me about the history of the saloon and how back in the old days there had been four more blocks of streets under the hill but the river had slowly eaten away at them. I returned to my room to do some reading and fell asleep at 10 when the band stopped playing.