It was during this time in my life that I was going to a lot of festivals and at the time couldn’t think of a bigger, more popular festival than Mardi Gras. But aside from all the craziness on Bourbon street, one thing that I still think about during my short stay in New Orleans was all the visible damage and fall out from Hurricane Katrina, which was almost six years prior. Walking around the outskirts of downtown, one could still see the impact of that storm, not just on the landscape, but on its inhabitants too. One moment I remember was when I was making my way to downtown and stopped inside this book store. Inside it was dark, musky, and virtually no books. There were a couple people inside seated in chairs, silent, staring vacantly at nothing. It was quite eerie! Bourbon street, though! That is a wild time. I was staying at a hostel and for a couple nights I would make my way out with a few new friends and just stroll all over that street. You could just stand in one place with a drink in hand and just watch, and still have a great time. My ‘favorite’ moment was when a girl approached me and asked if I wanted to make out. After our brief embrace she said goodbye and walked off and that was it. But then I was coaxed by a couple buddies to go after her. So I did. But when she saw me she turned around and asked very politely if I would please stop following her. Ouch! Other highlights include coffee and pastries at Cafe du Monde, a delicious alligator slider at some random restaurant, and walking around an empty, trashed-out Bourbon in the early mornings.
