We missed a lot of Mardi Gras because we arrived at 5pm on the day of celebrations rather than 5pm the day before. Fin had to nap, but I’d slept on the train so I took a walk to find a supermarket. The first place I found was a liquor store that mirrored the scene in Lock Stock… where everyone keeps getting shot. I walked straight into a cage and quickly walked out again. I turned in the opposite direction and found a Walgreens but they don’t do anything close to fruit and veg so I headed back. New Orleans is a very segregated city and from the upper ninth to the lower ninth ward the black population becomes denser and the buildings become more decrepit, and although I hate to admit it, I was scared. When I got back the people we were staying with were shocked that I’d gone out on my own, so I didn’t do that again. At the parade earlier that day there were four shootings and seven people were admitted to hospital, so perhaps it was a good thing that we missed it. We did of course get very drunk and head out to Bourbon Street to catch the wind down though.
In the morning we walked to Alana’s house because the place we stayed at the night before was rented and everyone headed home on Ash Wednesday. It was only 20 minutes away, but I was in such a terrible state that it was agony. That’ll teach me I suppose, but the entire city was in the same state so I hardly stood out.
Alana was an excellent host. We were only there for a day and she wanted to make sure we experienced everything. So we walked to the restaurant she works in to have milkshakes and an oyster po-boy. A po-boy being a ‘poor boy’ sandwich in which you can get anything you like. The point of it is to fill you up all day but cost very little. On the way we ran into a bunch of train hoppers that Alana knew. I spoke to a guy called Sal who was barefoot with blackened fingernails. They all carried an instrument and a rucksack. Sal had a harmonica but amid the throng I spied an accordion as well as guitars.
Erin’s get-up
We went to see the (Mississippi) river before going back to watch films on her projector. We started with La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc, but as it was silent I fell asleep and I don’t think her neighbour Taylor was that into it, so we changed to Monster Road. This is a documentary about an animator called Bruce Bickford who’s a total recluse and I found it captivating.
Alana
We were quite sad to leave New Orleans and felt unbelievably cheated by Memphis. It’s such a relaxing place – it’s easy to get stuck there unless you force yourself out.
1 Comment
March 3, 2009 at 12:09 am
Hey Dan,
When are you going to be in Vegas?
ChrisNTR