N'Orleans is a great/bad place

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Today was a bit slower after last night’s efforts. I managed to wake up at 7:30 and jump out of the top bunk at 8:00. That was entirely too early after a 4:00+ bedtime. I may be getting too old for this.

After writing the second half of last night’s masterpiece this morning, I headed with George down to Café du Monde for beignets (French donuts) and café au lait. It happened to be an extra special day for such an affair as today was National Donut Day. It seems strange to me to have such a holiday although if I ever decide to work again, I will be a proponent to make it a day-off holiday.

The beignets were delicious. They reminded me of a more sophisticated version of funnel cake. They were covered in powdered sugar, which means I also became covered in powdered sugar. The café au lait was good for coffee, but I’m not much of a coffee drinker. The nice thing is the caffeine kept me up throughout the day.

We then decided to walk around the quarter a bit more, discussing various topics du jour. Nothing insightful came about. As we were walking, we found a Cajun/Creole joint called Two Sisters which George had eaten at the other day. I had some fabulous jambalaya but couldn’t come close to finishing it after the donut breakfast. For the first time in months I wasted food. I hung my head in shame, praying for forgiveness from the starving kids in China who would kill for such a meal.

Also as we were roaming, we walked back through Jackson Square and saw the Saint Louis Cathedral. I have nothing amusing, witty or otherwise interesting to say about it. It was nice and we saw it. Check.

Later in the day, after coming back to the hostel for a bit, I drove in town to get a hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s and pick up a replacement glass for Gus. Pat O’Brien’s is the hurricane hot spot but I can’t say I was impressed with the alcohol content. But quite tasty nonetheless. And the backyard seating area is very peaceful.

I grabbed a bite at a restaurant at the French Market where there was a jazz band playing. The band consisted of trombone, clarinet, bass and piano players and a drummer. The clarinetist and trombonist also did vocals at times. The most amusing part was when the trombonist would do his thing, put down his horn, smoke his cigarette, wash it down with a beer, take another drag and then start whaling again. He had a great shtick.

I had the seafood gumbo and crawfish etoueffee. Both were quite good. The etouffee had a very rich Creole sauce which complemented the crawfish and white rice nicely.

I realized today that hostels are a lot of fun. I liked the idea originally not just because of a budget but when traveling alone, it creates an almost automatic social network when you’re in a certain area. But it’s really much more than that. The relationships that are developed in such a short stay can really lead to much more. Meeting people from around the world can lead to opportunities to know someone in a city far away. That’s great because you can have a familiar face in a foreign land and someone to tell you where to go and what to avoid. You just return the favor with your words of wisdom on your part of the world, whether it be your hometown, a nearby city or other places you’ve been. It’s tremendous. Thank God I am not a hermit. People like me.

After downing a Steele Reserve 40, a debatable endeavor, I headed out on the town with Joe. We again overdid things as we walked up and down Bourbon Street, consuming copious bright colored beverages. Shots from test tubes were taken often. The shot sellers generally assist the customer in doing a shot, actually holding the glass and pouring it down your mouth. I am amazed how many different ways they have found to do this. Returning at 4:00 am again was not smart.

New Orleans is a great town but I have to invoke the Vegas rule - you can’t stay here more than three nights. I’ve had a great time but I’m getting too old to do this too much.

I’m off to Houston to meet up with Finn and some relatives.

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