I don’t think there is a better city to start my travel blog post with than New Orleans. I rightfully call it my home away from home. Why you ask? Because fish is plentiful and fresh just like in Goa. The people here are jolly and festive giving you a feeling of being at a Goan carnival. The jazz music is blissful to the ears and reminds me of Goan kantaram. The architecture and colorful buildings of the French Market and French Quarter give you a feeling of being in Panaji. Oh and how can I forget the booze? The most memorable incident of my first NOLA trip was when our land lady in New Orleans would not let us walk out of the house without a cocktail in our hands! As a Goan would say,” soro jeevak boro!”
Be it standing in a long queue to get your morning coffee and taste of the famous beignets at Cafe Du Monde, watching the myriad street shows, cycling in the raised cemeteries, exploring the bayou or just wandering around the crazy corners of bourbon street, this city has a soul that speaks to the free spirit in you. There is a certain feeling of peace and content I get every time I stroll by the river walk. This city is truly unlike any other in America.
Things to do:
French Quarter
It is a great place to just walk around with lots of street shows, magic shows, painters, artists, musicians and eateries. You will never get bored! It is hard to miss the St. Louis Cathedral, a place of peace and serenity, amidst the chaos.
Bourbon street
Warning: NOT KID FRIENDLY! If you think Vegas is crazy, try walking on bourbon street after 10 pm. If you are a party animal and love night clubs, this is the place for you!
Cemetery and Haunted tours
Since New Orleans is built on swamps and has a high water table, the dead are buried above the ground. The graves resemble small houses and referred to as the cities of the dead. The St. Louis cemetery is the most famous one. There are many cemetery and haunted tours that are offered by many agencies around the main street. I am not a big fan of haunted houses or anything that is creepy in those lines. We rented bicycles instead and rode around the cemeteries ourselves. You can also take your car inside some of the cemeteries as well.
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Attend a Parade
Be it Mardi Gras, a Gay Parade or an Easter Parade, NOLA has a number of them throughout the year. I even spotted a political parade once when I was there. In short, people from NOLA do not need a reason to celebrate! Plan your trip around one of these parades and you will not be disappointed!
Do a tour of the Bayou
I have done two tours and I loved that both of them helped me in learning the ways of living of the Bayou people. They have fun tours where you can spot and even hold alligators. My favorite thing to do is to hit to local fish market, close to the Bayou after, to get my hands on the fresh catch of the day!
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Take a stroll by the river walk
It is my favorite thing to do just for some peace and quite.
Ride in a street car
The street cars are a great way to explore the city if you don’t like walking. They have three lines, the St. Charles, the Canal Street and the Riverfront Lines.
French Market
Visit the French Market for shopping, cheap eats and drinks, of course! If you like hot sauce, they have stores that sell a variety of them and they even can spice up your food accordingly.
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Must eats:
- If you go during craw fish season (which I highly recommend you do!) try to crawfish boil. It is crawfish cooked in Creole spices and is finger licking good! Don’t forget to eat it the right way break the head, suck the juice, peel and enjoy! Messy hands but satisfied tummies!
- If you love oysters, you are in luck! From raw oysters, fried oysters, oyster shots to grilled oysters, they have it all in NOLA. My personal favorite are the grill charred oysters. I highly recommend the Acme Oyster House. But make sure you get there early to beat the queue!
- You can finds all kind of fancy and signature drinks in every nook and corner. The hand grenade, however, is a must try drink in NOLA. It is legal to walk the streets with alcohol here, so drink up!
- Gumbos, fried seafood, crawfish étouffée, seafood boiled in creole spices, are other must try things in NOLA.
- If you are sandwich lover, don’t miss out on the Po’boys! Johnny’s Po-Boys, which has been on the French Quarter since the 1950s, is my favorite stop and I usually get the oyster po’boy.
- And if you are an adventurous eater, do try the alligator meat and turtle soup!
- No trip to NOLA is complete without a cup of coffee and plate of beignets from Cafe du Monde.
- Don’t forget to satisfy that sweet tooth with bread pudding and the pralines. I personally would go for another round of the beignets 😉