Partying in New Orleans

Trip Start May 26, 2009
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Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of United States  , Louisiana,
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Next stop is Louisiana. Driving in I noticed two things, firstly that the damage b y Hurricane Katrina is still obvious in the city outskirts and secondly that there are an awful lot of graveyards.  That said the city itself (i.e the French Quarters and surrounding blocks) is more or less  renewed and the town has an upbeat buzz, even outside of Bourbon Street.

I stay in India House hostel, a short street car ride (or 30 minute walk) from the  centre.  It's a strange hostel, but clean and I’m presented with beads on arrival.  My bunk bed is comfortable  and the people are friendly.  Its got great common areas including a pool which I sadly don’t have time to use.

My time here is limited so I pick one tour from several offered by the hostel (organised by Cajun Tours) and head out to the swamps for a day.  We’re driven about an hour out of the city where we transfer to a flat bottomed boat where our guide shows us alligators (and by shows grabs wrestles them so we see real up close), the birds and other wildlife and gives us some history of the swamps, and being Cajun, of his own French history Swamp
Swamp
 .  It’s a great tour and well worth the money even if I  now know more about the brutality that is alligator mating than was really necessary (several females take turns knocking hell out of the male to see who does the worst damage as that female is declared strongest and gets to 'go’ first at the mating).

And a trip to New Orleans wouldn’t be complete without at least one boozy night in the French Quarter.  Bourbon Street is unbelievable, wandering down the street with my 30fl oz frozen daiquiri (gotta love this place) I wander into bars to listen or dance  to the fantastic live music and soak up the atmosphere.

I’m sad to leave and readers, New Orleans has taken over Berlin as my favourite party city!  It beats Vegas hands down and Barcelona doesn’t come close.  I shall be back.
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