As the trenaise system snakes across a floatant, a paddler gets an alligator's-eye view of this world. Bull tongue, already shoulder high, crowds in on both sides. Stands of wild iris swim above the green tongues. White water lilies grace ponds. Small waterways cut tunnels through groves of wax myrtle dotted with birds' nests.
Small fish scurry ahead, gators slither away, snakes watch from the sidelines.
Chunks of floatants, moving like green icebergs, break off and drift down the waterway. On the horizon, the New Orleans skyline catches the glow of the evening sun. The ranger looks at the buildings, and smiles. It's a short distance from here to downtown. But it's another world away.