Travelogue :  Cross Country Road Trip- USA

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Our first impression of New Orleans?

Well, we didn't know whether to love it or hate it.

We weren't sure if we were in the ghetto, or if the decrepitness was the result of Hurricane Katrina. However, after meeting the locals and several really cool people at the hostel we were staying at, we decided it wasn't such a bad place after all. In fact, it became one of our favorite destinations visited on this trip.

After circling around Canal Street and debating whether or not to stay at the India Hostel (the area looked a bit ghetto), we decided to inquire at Day's Inn. Apparently, Day's Inn was all booked up so in a way, we were left with little choice but to stay at the hostel after all. It turned out to be the best decision we have made so far.

After unpacking and changing into my bikini, Jen joined me out on the pool deck where we met some hostelers from Denmark and Austria. We also met Cookie-- a fragile-looking but sassy young person whom introduced herself by saying "Hi, I'm Cookie and I'm a transvestite. What about you guys?" She mentioned it all so casually in a sentence, as if she were telling us her favorite color.

She was definitely chill so we hung out talking to her a bit and listened to her advice before heading into Bourbon St. After my swim, we went back to our room to get ready for the evening and as I reached to unlock the padlock on our hostel room, what do you know, I get pierced by... a rusty nail.

So, I'm freaking out because at this point, I can't really remember the last time I've had a tetanus shot. I knew I must've had one recently because I needed it either for my job or travels to Peru. I kept thinking about whether or not I should go to the hospital to get one just in case.

In the end, I decided against it. It turned out to be a small scratch, I had already poured tons of alcohol and peroxide onto it and I did remember that I had gotten my tetanus not too long ago. Still, it was scary thinking about it.

At around 9pm, we decide to take the street car into Bourbon St. We waited for what seemed like an hour, so we gave up and decided to drive our car instead. As we are leaving, we see the cable car arriving. Ugh. So, we get out of our car, and of course the street car has already left. We saw another one heading in the opposite direction and decided to take that one instead.

Finally we get to Bourbon Street and man, it is ALIVE. Live bands and music just blaring everywhere. People are drinking on the streets and yummy food smells all over the place. There are also a lot of street waste gutter smells as well. Vendors pulling you this way and that trying to get you into their nightclubs or strip clubs. Jen and I decided to roam around and snap some pictures before finding a place to eat.

Finally, we decided to stop by someplace and eat. However, all the restaurants we went to were already closing! It wasn't even 11pm yet. There was however, one restaurant that remained open. We were starving so we hoped the food there would be good.

After our cool little show, Jen and I took the taxi back to our hostel. When we arrived, there were a group of people hangin' out on the porch so we decided to join them for a little more fun.

Somewhere around 3am, we got Christoph to own up to us (on video) that he is in fact, a beer bitch and proud of it. (A beer bitch by the way, is someone that goes and gets people beer all night long at their every wish and demand for alcohol)

Beer Bitch Video

Right around 3am, a newcomer joins our group. His name is Mike. Cookie asks this disheveled traveler "Where are you from?"
"North Carolina" he says.

"Oh, my brother's living there right now" I remark. And with those words, he walks over, sits down next to me, and a new friendship is forged.

Anyhow, we instantly click and the topic comes to his motorcycle. He asks if I want to go for a ride. Oh, hell yea, I say, and off we go into the night.

Anyhow, we ended up getting back around 5:00am and Jen and I decide to shower and nap because we have a 19 hour drive to New York the next day. Mike and I exchange good-byes, I give him my info and off everyone goes to sleep. We would find out the next day that later that morning, Beer Bitch's friend, George, tries to jump over the picket fence in his flip flops and ends up shattering his foot. Smart.

The next morning, Jen and I decided to skip the Swamp Tours for much needed sleep. We ended up waking around noon and as I walked out from our hostel room, there he was, Mike, just chillin' in the courtyard. We chatted for a bit and he let me go finish brushing my teeth and gettin' my stuff ready.

After Jen and I were all packed up and checked out, Mike helped us with our stuff and even threw out some of the trash in our car. What a southern gentleman! I cannot get over the hospitality here in the south. What a huge turn-on.

Jen and I said our good-byes to everyone and Mike and I hugged with the promise of him visiting Los Angeles very shortly. Jen and I drove back into the French Quarter to have some lunch, do a bit of shopping and take some more pictures before leaving for our long drive to New York.

Jen and I decided to stop in at the Red Fish Grill for lunch. It was very moderately priced for really good food. It was a perfect ending to a perfect trip.