New Orleans

I just finished watching The Princess and the Frog, and am amazed at how accurately it captures the essence of New Orleans! I was just down there a couple weeks ago for Jazz Fest, and I fell in love with the place. It reminded me of my favorite cities: Charleston and Cape Town. And now I think it deserves to be the third in that list. New Orleans is just so... free. There's a reason they call it "The Big Easy:" people are there to take life easy and just want to enjoy themselves.

Walking down Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, there is a striking contrast between old and new: beautiful, ancient French architecture and the modern, vibrant nightlife that stays jamming until 4 in the morning. But the colonial-style backdrop somehow so gracefully complements and nurtures the late-night sin of the Quarter's famous scene... And this merger of the times is the epitome of the city. As I look up, I'm careful not to have a strand of shiny colored beads fall on my face, thrown from bar-goers on balconies who've managed to hang them from lamp posts, phone lines and street signs. All the indoor life seems to spill out into the streets, moving from cajun restaurants to jazz clubs and hovering from wrought-iron balustrades. Somehow, it just feels... safe. Maybe it's the warmth and comfort afforded knowing that everyone around you is that friend who wants you to have a drink; no one means any harm. Maybe it's the ease with which I can follow my ear down Bourbon seeking jazz and find as much music as I can handle, plus the most amazing food I've ever tasted. Everything is right there at your fingertips!

The food I had in New Orleans... Unforgettable. Fried green tomatoes, shrimp, crab, alligator pie... Gator on a stick, even! Sounds bad, but it's oh so good. The bold French and southern flavors mix as their cultures have, and the result is bursting with symbolism.

The city is drenched in color and life, steeped in sin, and shrouded in mystery. Magic shops and voodoo dolls startle, but remind of its history. (Incidentally, the city was founded on strip joints and dive bars-- it was a port for French sailors to rest, relax, and recuperate... and have a little fun. Not surprisingly, it seems still to serve the same purpose for some.)

Leaving New Orleans was hard for me, but I'm sure I'll darken its door once again. And I'll leave you with something I overheard a man saying on a New Orleans street: "...Even when you f**k up here, you still can't do bad."