New Olreans

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Could not wait to be in a big lively city as the last two places had been sooooo quiet and new olreans did not dissapoint, the hotel was in a great location and the trams were so easy to use for sightseeing and getting around.

Friday 17th Sept. We caught the tram through the garden district and back, an affluent neighbourhood with some really nice big old houses. We then walked down the famous canal street and bourbon street. Even in the day time Bourbon st was busy busy with people eating, drinking and shopping. It was so tacky it was great. Walked all through the french quarter as well as down by the river, the catherdral and the french market. Met a couple at the hotel pool and they invited us to eat and go out with them that evening along with John's brother and as they all knew new orleans well we jumped at the chance. They were true southern americans and we had a fun night on bourbon st sampling the new orleans cocktail called a hurrcaine and a special drink called a handgranade, no one knows what is in it just that it gets you drunk and comes frozen in a large bright green cup with a plastic handgranade floating in it. People also stand on the balconies above the street and throw down brightly coloured beads to you.

Saturday 18th Sept- after a recovery day we thought we better get up and head out for some food so we headed down to the riverside on the tram and eat and had a little walk around. We then got the tram to mid-town and back as it was the only part of the city we had not yet been to.

Sun 19th Sept- We headed down to the riverfront and took the free local ferry accross the river to a little old town called Algiers, it was a very sleepy place with only a few tourist and locals coming out of church around, we went to a sweet neighbourhood cafe for coffee before heading back accross the river. We then browsed around the shops from the highend to the tacky tourist shops. In the evening we headed to Bourbon street to watch some live jazz at the Irvin Mayfield Jazz playhouse which was in an old hotel, it was really posh and had an act on where the leading lady was a crazy old singer called Germaine Bazzle who must have been at least 70, she was really good though.

We then got up early on Monday to leave New Orleans for Texas, first stop Houston followed by Dallas. Cowboys and Space Rockets here we come.xx

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