More from New Orleans

Sunset over the Mississippi the night we camped at Oak Alley Plantation

The next day we continued to follow the river road into New Orleans passing a few plantation homes on the way.  It is difficult to get a view of the river because of the levee and we have stopped a couple of times to walk up on to the levee for a look.  We have been surprised to be moved along by security personel who don’t even like us taking photos.

Arriving in New Orleans we have chosen an RV Park about 30 minutes out of the city.  It has a pool, shady trees, roomy sites and a free shuttle to town.  The owner of the park drives the shuttle and takes a meandering route, giving a non stop running commentary along the way.  We don’t need to do a city tour as we get it from the shuttle driver.

After settling in, we book a paddle steamer dinner/jazz cruise on the Natchez.  It is a lovely way to pass the evening.  It is a balmy night and very pleasant sitting on the upper deck listening to the live jazz band after dinner as we glide along the river.  After our cruise we walk down Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.  THE place to be after dark! The streets are narrow and almost overhung with wrought iron balconies.  Bourbon Street is closed to car traffic and it is quite crowded.  Jazz bands play on street corners and in nearly every building, bars, cafes, nightclubs.  Bright neon lights, noise, music, street theatre, hustlers, hookers, what a buzz, a fun place!  And despite people drinking in the street and having a good time, everyone seems well behaved and friendly. However, our shuttle driver told us where not to go and that we should ask the concierge of one of the large hotels to call a taxi for us to go home. 

Despite being a bit tired, we are all up to catch the 9am shuttle to town for a day’s sightseeing.  There are many interesting shops and galleries to browse in the “Quarter” and we have lunch in a building where Andrew Jackson discussed civil war strategy.  It seems music fills the air at any time of the day - we stop and listen to a band on a street corner for a while - the lady playing the clarinet was fantastic!  We took a 3 hour Katrina/City Tour which gave us an insight into the levee system of the Mississippi River and how there came to be 50 breaches of the levees during Hurricane Katrina, resulting in devastating flooding of the city. About 140,000 people have not returned to live in the city following the storm and 1500 died as a result.  After 6 years many suburbs are still a shambles.  Whole shopping centres have been cleared and not rebuilt,  many businesses lie idle – the whereabouts of the owners unknown, 6 hospitals remain out of 12, there are 400 schools out of about 1400 and many house lots are vacant or still boarded up and overgrown.  In one large suburb, only 20% of the population remain.  There is some rebuilding and a lot of money being spent on upgrading the levees and levee gates.  Brad Pitt has put a lot of money in housing, providing loans for low cost eco friendly homes.  Fats Domino climbed onto his roof during the flood and was airlifted out.  We finish our day in the city with coffee and beignets (square French donuts smothered in icing sugar). While waiting for our shuttle at the Natchez wharf, there was a lady playing the calliope (steam operated organ) on the top deck of the Natchez - great music.  On returning to camp it was time for a swim in the pool.

 

On our third day in New Orleans, we travel back into the city mid afternoon by bus and streetcar (a long, hot, crowded journey but we enjoy the streets lined with old oak trees and the architecture of the colonial homes.  We book dinner at a restaurant and then wander up Bourbon Street.  We take shelter from the oppressive heat in one of the hundreds of little bars.  A Cajun fiddle and washboard band is playing – very enjoyable – and a family is there celebrating a birthday, so we are given birthday cake, everyone very friendly.  It’s Saturday night (though I’m not sure it matters) and Bourbon Street is jumping with everyone in party mood.  Seems there is a party on every balcony, passers by say ‘hello’, all good natured.  Our dinner at Arnaud’s is lovely, very classy, great food and a jazz gumbo trio is playing, a very nice finish to our visit to New Orleans.

Street theatre is great - we watched the guy in a white suit for quite a while and he did move a muscle despite all attempts by a lady to distract him.