'Nawlins'

It had to happen, didn't it?  We missed our scheduled flight from Chicago to New Orleans.  We arrived at the airport after our flight left, all thanks to the CTA (Chicago Transport Authority).  We had allowed enough time to get to the airport (although clearly not) - there were works on the train line - stuck in tunnels between stations, had to transfer to a shuttle bus between some stops (terrible traffic).  Nightmare.  Good thing we called the airport as soon as we realised we were not going to make the check-in and they took our names off the flight, which meant we could reschedule without having to pay for the next leg.

The next flight 5 1/2 hours later was fully booked, but we were put on 'stand-by' - we were second and third on the list.  Only the first made it onto that flight.  Stand-by bloke number 4 was looking optimistic because we had told him we probably wouldn't have travelled separately (with only one working mobile it would have been a bit difficult to communicate) - he would have got on if there had been one more place.  Luckily there were actually seats available on the next flight (another 6 hours later).  We're getting good at just keeping ourselves amused for long periods of time - people-watching (the airport's a great place to do that), eating, trips to the toilet (!) - the time flew by!

Our hotel room here is very nice - hard-wood floors, 2 king-size beds, cable tv.

New Orleans is so different to any where else we've visited in the US.  It's pretty much exactly what I expected, well, the French Quarter anyway.  The French Quarter (which was actually built by the Spanish) is a grid of narrow, picturesque streets, densely packed with shops, bars and restaurants.  The houses feature balconies with beautiful ornate cast iron balconies (the earliest ones have hand-beaten balconies) and hanging potted plants.  The roads are pot-holed but pedestrian-friendly.

The many tourist shops lining the Quarter sell hot pepper sauce, feather boas and mardi gras masks, real crocodile heads, novelty T-shirts and beignet mix.  Beignets are deep-fried pastries served fresh with tons of icing sugar.  Cafe du Monde is a New Orleans institution that sells pretty much only beignets with cafe au lait (half coffee/half milk) and is open 24 hrs.  It's been open since 1860.  The floor and peoples' clothes just get covered in icing sugar.  You have to be careful not to breathe while eating them.  We've eaten these every day - they're delicious.

Bourbon Street is the most famous street here - some 'barely legal' strip joints with very dodgy photographs out the front, bars with neon signs advertising the local drinks; the 'Hurricane' (dark and light rum, pineapple and orange juices, grenadine), gin fizz and mint julep.  Like Vegas, they come in big plastic cups 'to go'.  Street musicians range from the genuinely talented to just off their faces.  There are also fortune tellers with tarot cards and palm readers.

One of the coolest things about New Orleans is the local food, which is so particular to this region - gumbo (a spicy soup) which has okra (ladies fingers);and jambalaya.  Both dishes can feature shrimps, chicken, rice and spicy sausage.  They have two types of sausage - one that's like a slightly spicy frankfurter and the other, a blood sausage.  We stuck with the former (was never really a fan of black pudding in the UK!).  There are signs for po-boys everywhere, big submarine sandwiches filled with anything and everything, so-called because they were originally considered sustenance for the 'poor boys'.  I enjoyed a muffaletta, a sandwich like the ones my dad makes (absolutely huge), jam-packed with ham, salami, provolone and an olive relish.   These were invented by a Sicilian migrant in 1906 and all come with this filling.

We haven't seen any of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina which happened a couple of years ago now - the French Quarter wasn't really affected apart from loss of trade.  There was only about a foot of water here.  The French Quarter is situated on high ground, geographically wedged between the Mississippi River to the south and Lake Pontchartrain to the north.  Fortunately, the banks of the river didn't burst, but water from the lake was whipped up and deposited over the surrounding areas.

Jazz music was 'born' in New Orleans at the end of the 19th century, or at least New Orleans is considered to have contributed to the early development of it.  There are live performances every night in many of the bars which pours out into the street - even the airport plays jazz, which makes a change from the usual airport music.  We visited a couple of bars and eventually found one that played the type of music we were looking for (although it was sung by a White bloke), the blues.

We've learnt how to say the word 'New Orleans' when speaking to Americans - rather than New Orleans (which is how I usually say it), it's New Orleans.  Everyone says 'y'all' here, as in 'you', or 'you all'.  I quite like that Southern drawl, it's very Matthew McConaghy (or Sawyer from Lost!), not that I've seen anyone here that looks remotely like either of those two ;)  Best be off now....