While I was born in the US and have traveled extensivley, this is the first time I have ever had the opportunity to spend any amount of time in New Orleans. So, I am not sure what it was like before Katrina, but I can sure see what it is like now.
There is a lot of both good and bad.
As a people, these folks down here have a lot of heart. Weekend before last the French Market held a tribute to Satchmo and had jazz bands playing just everywhere you looked. People were dancing in the streets and having a good time. Even after the clouds opened and the lightening began flashing, the residents of this fine city refused to have their spirits dampened. They continued dancing in the streets while smiling and laughing. I saw only 3 umbrellas open up, and I suspect those were tourists like me. It was a sight to behold.
You see, while the French Market and the French Quarter are hopping once again, there are thousands and thousands of folks still living in FEMA trailors, still waiting for insurance payouts.... still waiting for the government to notice they had a hurricane and need help. Many are on the streets having fallen through the FEMA cracks. and still they persevere.
The businesses that have reopened are screaming for help. The work-base evacuated a year ago and the majority have not returned. These places are desperate to hire people.
Quite a few others opened, saddly, only to sell what stock they had left before closing forever. The tourist trade was the key industry and too many people took Nawlins off their travel plans after Katrina. These smaller touristy shops could not survive without that trade. Luckily, some may pull through with the Cruise Ships coming back next month. For too many others, though, it is just too late.
I guess what I want to acccomplish here is to just get one of you to decide to come spend your vacation dollars here. The main tourist areas are back in business and ready for you. The steam ships are running, the aquarium has re-opened, Bourbon Street rawks until 5AM , and there are deals to be had all over.
The Big Easy needs you to come back... both displaced residents and tourists. There is much to love about this place. If nothing else, come to see the proud resiliance of the residents who stayed.... who wear t-shirts proclaiming Proud to Swim Home. It is worth the trip. Please put New Orleans back onto your travel radar.
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More by Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig |
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Comments: 24
All I can do is send them good and happy thoughts fra Denmark. But if I go in near future, i'll put in on my list of places to go!
It's when trying to decipher aural input that I have a disconnect. HA!
But, It is frustrating to see how abandonded these folks are down here... and heartening to see how tough they really are in spite of it all.
There are many great restaurants in New Orleans, with well-trained waiters and waitresses... to the extent that my partner wishes that waiters and waitresses here were sent there for 6 months of training.
Eat a beignut for me!
But here's the thing.. N.O. is the biggest container port in the world, with Amsterdam coming in second. This is a very important port to the US economy... which is partly why it surprised me so much that the US is so slow to fix it...
And, using your own reasoning, then everyone should move away from Tornado Alley? Howz about Earthquake hotspots? Do you also feel Florida should be closed off due to hurricane frequency?
Just curious. I luv yooo man.
We've been to N.O. and it's a great place. Maybe we can go back there sometime and visit again.
Granted, any large group of people will have a certain percentage of freeloaders among them, but the majority of those people have been screwed around NO END by FEMA, et al....
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