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Friendship Force Baton Rouge's Incoming Exchange with Moscow, Russia and Minsk, Belarus
November 5 Through November 12, 2012
Monday night, November 5, our 7 Ambassadors from Russia and Belarus arrived from
Atlanta. The hosts picked them up at the Baton Rouge Airport and by 11:30 pm all were safe in their host's home. Their day began at 10 am Tuesday with the planting of a Red Maple Tree in their honor at the Friendship Forest area located at Clark Park. Once the ceremony was over we were off to Louisiana's Rural Life Museum for a quick lunch from Popeye's (a Louisiana favorite for chicken) and a guided tour of the renowned Louisiana Rural Life Museum. We had an election theme welcome dinner that evening with jambalaya (another South Louisiana favorite food) followed by entertainment by the Les Danseurs de la Capitale de Baton Rouge dancers. Our national election for President of the United States was held Tuesday and one of the hosts took his Ambassadors to where he voted and introduced them to several voting commissioners while he waited his turn to vote. Wednesday was plantation day where we visited Rosedown Plantation which in the 1800s had over 3400 acres and grew cotton. In the afternoon some of the hosts and ambassadors visited the old town of St. Francisville while others drove across the Mississippi River and dipped their hands in "Old Man River". Our day ended with several small group dinners held in host's homes where our Ambassadors were introduced to other members of our club and had another opportunity to partake of South Louisiana cuisine and learn just a little more of our culture.
Photos from November 5-7, 2012:
Atlanta. The hosts picked them up at the Baton Rouge Airport and by 11:30 pm all were safe in their host's home. Their day began at 10 am Tuesday with the planting of a Red Maple Tree in their honor at the Friendship Forest area located at Clark Park. Once the ceremony was over we were off to Louisiana's Rural Life Museum for a quick lunch from Popeye's (a Louisiana favorite for chicken) and a guided tour of the renowned Louisiana Rural Life Museum. We had an election theme welcome dinner that evening with jambalaya (another South Louisiana favorite food) followed by entertainment by the Les Danseurs de la Capitale de Baton Rouge dancers. Our national election for President of the United States was held Tuesday and one of the hosts took his Ambassadors to where he voted and introduced them to several voting commissioners while he waited his turn to vote. Wednesday was plantation day where we visited Rosedown Plantation which in the 1800s had over 3400 acres and grew cotton. In the afternoon some of the hosts and ambassadors visited the old town of St. Francisville while others drove across the Mississippi River and dipped their hands in "Old Man River". Our day ended with several small group dinners held in host's homes where our Ambassadors were introduced to other members of our club and had another opportunity to partake of South Louisiana cuisine and learn just a little more of our culture.
Photos from November 5-7, 2012:
Thursday was titled Government Day when our Ambassadors met Mayor-President "Kip" Holden of Baton Rouge and were presented with certificates to the City of Baton Rouge. We later toured the Governor's Mansion and several other government buildings including the Louisiana Museum, the new, current State Capitol, and the Old State Capitol. We ended the day with several small group dinners with our Ambassadors. We were off to visit New Orleans on Friday and spent the day visiting the French Market, the French Quarter, St. Louis Cathedral (the oldest Cathedral in the U.S.), Jackson Square, and finally made our way to Bourbon Street. Saturday was a free day when most of the Ambassadors took the day to catch up on their shopping. On Sunday several Ambassadors attended church with their hosts and then many of us met at an outdoor concert held downtown in Baton Rouge. Everyone enjoyed the band, Creole String Beans, and several Ambassadors had the opportunity to dance to the local music. Our Farewell Dinner was held at the Duncan's (the president of our club) in Hammond, Louisiana. Our theme was "A Typical Thanksgiving Dinner" and we had all the "trimmings" including fried ribs, turkey, cranberry sauce, vegetables, and the New Orleans favorite, Hurricanes, to wash everything down. On Monday, after a little more shopping, our Ambassadors left in late afternoon for their next exchange in Atlanta, Georgia.
Photos from November 8-12, 2012:
Photos from November 8-12, 2012: