We woke up in Louisiana this morning. We hadn't realised it the night before but our cabin was actually on stilts above the swamp.

We tucked in to our Cajun breakfast and drank orange juice from jam jars while our hostess Betty told us stories about the swamps and a creature called the Rougarou who lived in the forrest and could turn you in to stone.

Afterwards we went for a walk around the grounds.

There were all kinds of animals including a 100 year old turtle which weighs 200lbs.

We were told not to be scared of the alligators as they have stopped eating until next year.

That evening we stayed at a cabin on a swamp in the Wildlife Gardens.

We were told that you could feed alligators from your porch.

The room was so cosy but it got so scary when it went dark. We heard something that sounded like a racoon or possum crawl up the side of our cabin, walk over the roof and down the other side on to our porch.

When the creature left, we ventured outside and Tom taught me checkers which was fun until I learned how to play and neither of us could win.