Today I got my megabus to New Orleans. Again I found a couch (or mattress) to stay. This city is just amazing and from all I heard unique across the whole of the US. After being hit hard by hurricane Katrina, the city center busts with live, music, and an exotic mix of French and creole culture. The heart of the city “the French Quarter” was build by French settlers which is still visible in its architecture. However, the French here mixed with freed African slaved and formed a French Creole culture that retained much more of the Western African heritage than in the rest of the US. You see that mainly in the local New Orleans style food but also in the (now commercially exploited) voodoo culture. Superficially voodoo seems like African witchcraft combined with catholic (French) tradition. The name of the legendary voodoo queen, Marie Laveau, is found on signs and merchandise in every corner of the city.
Sweet Home Alabama, bus trip to New Orleans
Downtown New Orleans (NOLA)
Treme, traditionally a black neighborhood with horrendous rents due to its proximity to the French Quarter
My host Andrew, is a very good example of the French/African Creole culture himself, a black Francophile artist and antiques retailer.
Andrews room
my room (we replaced the table with a matress)
His Art (he can actually live from selling his folk art pictures)
Marie Leveau, highly respected Voodoo Queen in the 18st century.
Another big thing in NOLA is Jazz. It was actually invented here and you have live Jazz performances every night on every corner. However, most tourists here seem not to care all that much about this unique cultural mix. They come to party. Most of the nightlife is concentrated around a single street in the French Quarter, the infamous Bourbon Street. Bars in New Orleans are open pretty much all the time, every day and you can drink on the street too. Nightlife is an essential part of New Orleans culture and most of the people that I met late nights (after 5AM) were actually locals!
entering the French Quarter
Bourbon Street on a “Monday Night”
around Jackson Square
Since the French Quarter is overcrowded with tourists, the local Jazz venues moved a bit to the border (Frenchman St.). There is life Jazz music of more kinds that I have ever heard of on any day of the week.
our way back to Treme (just behind the round gate)
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