The Big Easy

Agh--have been on the internet for ages and somehow only have 12 minutes left in which to write an entry--point format needed:

* Have been in N'Orleans since Saturday--stayed in the French Quarter for two nights and am now in a cheap backpackers hostel miles out of town.

* French Quarter is sublimely wonderful--architecture like Paris (with a hint of the set of a western), coffee and pastries like Paris, climate like South of France... and jazz everywhere! And when I say everywhere I mean everywhere! Every shop, cafe, bar--it even billows out of the cars as the crawl down the narrow streets. Those who know me will know how perfect a town it is for me.

* I got a big shock when I left the quarter to come out to the hostel however--still so much destruction from Katrina evident--every second house is boarded up or completely wrecked. Passing under a bridge I saw 10 tents and about 30 people milling around them--this was evidently home for them. Left me feeling a bit winded to be honest.

* Have a lot more exploring and relaxing to do--off to hit the pool at the hostel now....life ain't too hard in the Big Easy ;)