DELTA FEVER

Last morning in Memphis. The question is: Graceland yes or no?? I know that a lot of people will hate me but I decided for NO, I do not want to see the living place of Elvis Presley and his planes and his garden and all the gold and glitter around, fighting with thousands of tourists in long lanes waiting to see the holy place ... I am not in the mood for all that (I saw in souvenir shops nail files and ashtrays with the picture of 'the King' - thats enough). 

I am in the mood for the Delta!! Before I leave I have to see another famous place of the world's history to Lorraine Motel - in front of this Motel Martin Luther King has been shot to death on April 4, 1968 and this assassination led to nationwide riots in more than 100 cities.

The rest of the day was deep south with long highways - mainly Highway 61, cotton fields everywhere and from time to time the first swamps, mangroves and beautiful surroundings. In the middle of this landscape few small places where all the blues musicians lived, grew up and a lot of 'blues related places'... like: Coahoma (birth place of Ike Turner!), Clarksdale (brilliant Delta Blues Museum and Crossroads Monument) and the Ground Zero Blues Club which offers also at lunch time nice bluesy atmosphere. The highlight was Indianola, where BeeBee King grew up and made his first musical experiences. The BB King Museum is the best museum (and I saw a lot) on this trip!!! The life and the development are shown there so easy understandable in connection with the former apartheid system and how all that developed within the next 40 years ... brilliant!!! Worth to make a detour!!!!

Another detour I did was unfortunately not worth the way: I went the evening to Jackson for some live blues experience but first I arrived late, then it took me one hour to find the place (my fault - I missed the maps) and finally I found out that this monday the club is closed! How sad - the first evening without LIVE music! Whatsoever, I am so tired that I immediately slept deeply, getting ready for the next day!