The Big Easy

Well, just tonight we have arrived home from our trip home to see the new baby. Of course she was gorgeous! I will put those photos up as soon as I have them, she deserves a post of her own. This time I'm going to talk about the part of the trip where we got back in the car after driving 900 miles from DFW to Indy, and drove another 500 miles to New Orleans. Yes, in August, and yes, just under a year after Katrina. Let me tell you, there is still real destruction and suffering going on in that place. We didn't have any trouble with crime or anything like that. The streets were nearly desolate they were so empty. About 80% of the shops are gone, just gone. The buildings are there, but there's no-one home. We saw a lot of signs up where folks were still waiting on trailers to be brought, or to be taken away, or to get any insurance money for the damages they suffered. We also passed, just outside the city, two or three large fields where FEMA is storing trailers, ones that have apparently never been used. Something about a law not allowing the use of travel trailers as "permanent" residence in a hurricane zone. (Oh, My God! come on folks, the damn hurricane is the reason the trailers were brought there, and there are still folks waiting for a place to live!) A year later. They are still arguing with their insurance companies and/or the federal government about damages, a year later. Most of the french quarter looked pretty good, but the people just weren't there. The city in general seemed like it was just still waiting, waiting for the tourists to come back, waiting for the business to come back, waiting for the real-estate prices to come back to normal (they had skyrocketed, which was confusing to everyone), just waiting. It was like a communal holding of the breath, and it seemed most of them were still very much in mourning. They were mourning I think as much for the city itself as for specific people. We saw lots of folks with hurricane tattoos on their arms or shoulders. Saw lots of "survivor" stickers, lots of "rebuild new orleans" stickers, and lots of utterly destroyed homes. However, we also saw quite a few areas that were untouched as far as we could tell. There's still a lot of work to be done down there, but the damage varies from "raze it" to "gut it" to "fix the roof" to "no damage". As we were coming into town on 10, across lake Pontchartraine, the destruction was complete. After we got across the bridge it was still bad, but not quite total. There are certainly whole parts of town that are apparently totally abandoned still. Once we got near the French Quarter it wasn't bad, just the empty storefronts. As we were leaving town we saw more damage, alternating with neighborhoods that seemed untouched. The jail is full, and then some; some of those FEMA trailers appear to be housing inmates. Still others are set up in "neighborhoods" near the center of the city, wherever there were vacant lots to be found. It sure makes you think about what you have, and where you are in your life. It makes you grateful for everything. I think it will take a long time for the city to come back to what it once was. They are beginning that long road, but they still need our help. The next time someone comes around asking for Katrina or red cross donations, go ahead and give what you can. They still need our help.


On the local news they were talking about the population figures, how nobody is sure how many folks are still living in New Orleans. Estimates range from 100,000 to under 300,000. There were more tourists than I expected, we weren't the only ones. We certainly stayed in a hotel we never could have otherwise afforded. The best meal we had there was also the cheapest. The first night we asked the lady at the desk where to get some good food that's not too expensive, and she sent us to the Gumbo Shop, which was a tad upscale, though most of the other customers were in shorts and t-shirts, just like us. It put us out over 40 bucks, for two conservative meals and a $5 grilled cheese. The next night we asked her where she ate in the quarter, and she sent us to the Royal grocery and deli. For six bucks each we got not only a huge amount of food, more than I could eat, but excellect food! I tell you the place looked scary enough that we didn't even go in the first night when we were looking for a grocery store, but on her recommendation, we had the best meal in the quarter! Ok, now for some pictures: Me, in knitters heaven, listening to Brenda Dayne's Podcast Cast On, while knitting:

Next, the courtyard of the Place d'Armes, where we stayed for under $80/night. Can you tell they are desperate to get the tourists in? This place goes for over $300/night during mardi gras. It was absolutely beautiful.



Then, on the way out of town we stopped at the St. Louis Cemeterey No. 1 where we saw the purported resting place of the famous voudoun? Marie Leveau. Folks visiting had been leaving flowers or pennies, and marking x's on the walls. I left a penny with respect, but didn't mark on the tomb! I don't even want to speculate on what left the greasy marks on the pavement. This was the only place in the whole cemetery where there was marks like that. I'm hoping it was only candles. This cemetery, like most I have been in, seemed rather un-haunted. The hotel we stayed in was supposed to be haunted by two different ghosts, both of whom apparently liked to hang out in the courtyard. We neither saw nor experienced either of them. Of course we were only there for two nights, and one of those was rainy. It is definitely a very interesting city, and I will go back, just not in August! Maybe February or March next time, so I won't melt! Well, it's getting late and I have a lot to get done tomorrow, er later today I guess. I will post again later today, all about the baby! She's beautiful!