Jeremy's Cool Travel Blog: Louisiana, Part 1: Who Dat? New Orleans!

Our train pulled into New Orleans on the afternoon of Thursday, April 10. Both Jérôme and I slept off-and-on throughout the night, but enough to keep us going for the rest of the day. The funny thing was that following breakfast service in the dining / observation car, people got into some serious drinking - likely helped by the attendant who announced over the PA that they made the best bloody marys on the rails. By about noon, the observation car was full of people in good humour, listening to music and drinking beer, wine and spirits (one lady was even passing around vodka-infused gummy bears). And it was loud. As we approached New Orleans, the train passed through sections of the bayou where we spotted many turtles and a few aligators.

At the train station in New Orleans, our Airbnb host, Clayton, picked us up to bring us to our accommodations - a traditional shotgun house. The place is in a trendy, historic neighbourhood called the Garden District, which is not far from the city center and known for its beautiful heritage homes.

Once settled, we went out for our first po' boy sandwich - a Louisiana-style submarine sandwich with meat or fried seafood in a baguette (delicious when done well) - and then strolled our way towards downtown to check out the famed French Quarter. True to its reputation, the Quarter is very charming and picturesque. But once we got to Bourbon Street, things got goofy. The strip is lined with dozens of neon-illuminated bars and packed with people, all with drinks in hand. None of the bars seem genuine and it all got boring pretty fast. We watched a blues band play at one place (they play there five nights a week) and then ended up at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, a bar at the end of the strip that is in one of the oldest structures in the city (circa 1770). Some locals hang out there and we made a decent time it. No matter what you think Bourbon Street, you can't visit New Orleans without spending one night there.

The next day we strolled around the Garden District to check out the homes and a famous cemetary. We then took the streetcar downtown (note: heed the warnings telling you not to put your arm outside the window or it will hit a street sign) to check out the French Quarter Festival. The festival is the city's biggest draw after Mardi Gras and features dozens of bands over four days - all for free. There we enjoyed some live cajun music, delicious po' boys and a lot of people watching. We also took the opportunity to explore the French Quarter by day and enjoy its beautiful architecture.

By late afternoon our feet were sore, so we headed home to rest up before the evening. For dinner, we went for dinner in our neighbourhood to a place called Casamento's, a famous 'olde thyme' seafood restaurant specializing in oysters, gumbo and other regional delights. Unfortunately we were disapointed. We didn't enjoy the massive, tasteless Louisiana oysters, whereas the po' boys and gumbo were just OK. For a place of its status, we found it too bland and too expensive. Oh well.

Afterwards we intended to check out some live cajun music at a well-known venue called Tipitina's, but abandoned the idea when we discovered that the main band wasn't starting til midnight (we were leaving town the next day and didn't want to be tired for our drive). Instead we opted for a drink at an interesting-looking bar called Ms. Mae's that we'd passed on our walk over. The place is a dive, but with lots of character and characters. Apart from this, what stood out was the ridiculous drink prices: bottled beers for $1.50, shots and mixed drinks for $2, and doubles for $3. Plus, the place is open 24/7. For real. Talk about a recipe for disaster. One girl we met said the beers are so cheap she and her friends pay in quarters. Needless to say, one drink turned into many and we stayed til past 1:00 am. But we met many good people and it was worth it.

The next morning we made it to Avis by noon to get out car and get on the highway for three days in bayou country. Aieeee!

Some observations:

People are really friendly here and very helpful. ...and they do say 'y'all' a lot.
French is featured quite prominently around the city and many people do speak some French or have parents that do.
They are also big fans of the New Orleans Saints and are still very proud of their Super Bowl win in 2009. The Saints slogan is 'Who dat?' and at first we were wondering why we were seeing this everywhere. We've since joined the Who Dat Nation.
New Orleans is pretty much a black and white town. Unlike Chicago, there are not a lot of Asians or even Latinos here.
Transit is cheap ($1.25), but service is slow and inconsistent.
In Louisiana, the median of a boulevard is called the 'neutral ground'.