Though less focused on writing and more on Cajun life, we will be getting up with the birds to catch some fish with Capt. Scott Poche of Lafitte, LA. I am excited to get out of the city and see some more of New Orleans.
I am so fascinated with the completely different cultures I am finding on my trip, and I am not to proud to say that I was mistaken about much of the South. At times I find myself in the country, and other times I have found myself in huge cities. I have seen some segregation and I have seen some terrible poverty, but I have also found strength and a level of friendliness that I had not expected. Religion is a complex thing here for sure, but in my personal interactions I have felt little judgement. I do find myself very aware of the religious connections to communities here, partially because I am not religious, and so seeing it so many places catches me off guard. I see almost no "pro life" or antigay messages that I often associate with extreme religions, though in actuality I saw those more in DC and NYC. I see many, many churches and many religious signs and billboards, but they are more about calling people to church. It is interesting to see the differences and see how it affects communities and individuals. It seems that churches are an integral support system in many small communities.
Today we went on a historical cemetery tour. It is something that I wanted to see since the graves and tombs are something that New Orleans is so well known for.
People here are often buried for a year and a day, until their body is cooked to ash from the sun and heat, and then new bodies are placed in!! Some plots are for life, and others are like "condo" tombs!
The second most visited tomb in the US- Marie La Veau, a Voodoo high priestess!
It was a fascinating tour that we ended by eating in Antoines's restaurant, which we had seen on our tour yesterday!
Tonight we drove to our cottage where we will stay in another part of the city for 6 days before flying home. It is SO cute here and very different from the frat boy party zone we were in. I loved the craziness of it, but I did find the homelessness and alcoholism depressing to see so often. On a side note, a bottle of beer is 99 cents and water is $1.50. How can anyone who is homeless ever stop drinking with figures like that?
Anyways, this is a different view of New Orleans- I'd liken it to West Roxbury vs the Theater District. I want to explore more areas of Nola, and it is amazing to see the damage that remains from hurricanes.
Wish us luck on the fishing trip!
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