In New Orleans

My first visit to the Crescent City post Katrina. I don't know what I was expecting but everything seemed fresh or different to me. The airport seemsd less crowded, less hectic. Lots of unused terminals and gates and the chaos that is usually de rigeur at most airports seem to be missing. The airport looked the same though, the shrubs were trimmed and neat and the parking lots were clean and well kept. Like I said, I didn't know what I was expecting.

The trip into town was uneventful. You can see where the neighborhoods have been rebuilt versus those that are still boarded up. The canals and pipes that line the highway have always been there i supposed, but I never noticed them before.

I am staying at the Canal Street Sheraton, the Marriott where I stayed for the AVCA convention a few years ago is right across the street, parts of the Marriott are still boardedup. Harrahs an dthe other Casinos are up and running though.

I started my third visit here with lunch. I had gone on Chowhound and asked for recommendations for places that are open post Katrina and got a slew of recs. I went to Coops for some cajun fare, fried oysters, gumbo, shrimp creole, jambalaya, and red beans and rice. A great lunch. After lunch I went strolling through the French quarter at a more leisurely pace. Decatur street is a major tourist trap, Cafe Du Monde and Jackson Square are both on it. I saw most of it on my way to Coops. It seemed funny to me how the national chains seem to congregate about Canal street and Poydras. House of Blues, Hooters, the major casinos are all right here, in fact the further east you push the more authentic the restaurants seem to be.

I took a walk through Jackson Square, it was a lovely day, a tad humid, but I am in New Orleans so I was prepared for it. The non-tourist focused places were cute, charming, and genuine. They weren't priced that way though. The walk was relaxing and the ethos and rhythm of life in the south seem to envelope me in a warm embrace, kind of welcoming me back to the south. The pace is relaxed because it is just too dang hot to worry about things. I walked along for a few hours and after being thoroughly relaxed, I went back to the hotel to take a nap.

Dinner was at Cochon, the review is on Chowhounds. No need to duplicate myself.
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Why is it that when people talk about people, they always seem to marvel at how some one is able to be him self and never change. The comment is always about how even years after the friendship begins, so-so is the same man as when he was a boy. Isn't stunted growth, emotional or intellectual, necessarily a very bad sign for a person. It just reinforces the mindset of this society, where change or personal growth is viewed with disdain and suspicion. You would want change, especially when comparing the boy with the man. Just a curious observation.