Month: April 2015
Location: New Orleans & Gonzales
I was scheduled to attend a work
related meeting in Gonzales, Louisiana and so combined that with a visit to New
Orleans as a part of the program. The
meeting required us to be in Gonzales on Monday evening and so on Sunday
morning I found myself on a flight headed to New Orleans. As you
approach from the air, the swamp surrounding the city is visible as far as
the eye can see. Somewhere in middle of
that swamp is the town of Gonzales. But
that can wait. First there was a day to
be spent in the city of ‘Mardi Gras’.
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| The model of New Orleans downtown |
I had been to New Orleans years
ago with my buddies but that had literally been an overnight sprint. Well, so was this but I had a chance to plan
a couple of activities during my stay. I
took a cab to my hotel and as one approaches the downtown, passing by the ‘Superdome’, the historic architecture
is evident. The hotel itself was quite
charming and in the center of the lobby was a scaled model of the entire
downtown with the streets and buildings laid out. As is my usual practice, I asked at the front
desk where I should go for brunch and the quick answer was, ‘Ruby Slipper’.
After a customary wrong turn I
arrived at the café which was typical of something that one would find in a
European city – open spaces, high ceilings with fans and lots of natural light
on tiles. I ordered myself a good old
fashioned southern breakfast topped off by a glass of ‘Bloody Mary’. The barman
was a friendly chap and as I was about to leave, uttered the words which I have
waited for a long time to hear – “Do you
want another one to go?” As much as
I would have liked to respect the local customs, I declined and set about to
explore the city. I walked down the
historic ‘Canal Street’ down to the
waterfront and there was some sort of music festival going on over there. I walked about for a bit and then headed to
my first destination, ‘St. Louis
Cathedral’.
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| 'Mardi Gras' in all its splendor |
I went
inside and while is nowhere close in splendor to ‘Cathedral Basilica’, which I had visited last month, it is a
charming place nevertheless. I lighted
my candles just as they announced closing time, meaning that I had to leave soon. I didn’t have to travel far, since right next
door was a building that I found interesting – ‘Louisiana State Museum’. I
asked the attendant if they were closing soon and was told that I had about an
hour. The museum was just two floors but
each had a distinct New Orleans theme.
The first floor was a look back at one of the darkest hours in the
cities recent past, ‘Hurricane Katrina’. The exhibit took the visitor through the days
before the hurricane hit the city, leading up to the actual tragedy, followed
by the aftermath. But it wasn’t just
that. It was also a story of the triumph
of human spirit and how the city recovered through this to rediscover its
groove. If the downstairs was a bit
solemn, the upstairs was an absolute party, with an entire floor dedicated to
the festival of ‘Mardi Gras’. With elaborate costumes and other
paraphernalia on display, the place is exactly what you expect New Orleans to
be. As much as I would have liked to
have spent more time there, the museum was about to close and I had places to
be. Dark tales of ghosts and spirits
awaited me.
One of the
recommendations when it comes to doing activities in New Orleans is walking
through the historic ‘French Quarter’. And nothing says a walking tour like ‘5-in-1 Ghost Tour’ complete with “Voodoo”, “Witchcraft” and “Werewolves”.
Furthermore,
when the said tour is at twilight, sign me up. I was supposed to meet the group at a place
called ‘Reverend Zombie’s Voodoo Shop’,
well because, why not have that as a starting point for such a tour. The shop – which
is a famous landmark in the city - is unlike anything I have ever seen. Every nook and corner of the place had
interesting tidbits and items and I could have spent an entire day there and
still stay interested. But the one thing
that caught my eye was a sign that said “Fortune
Teller”. I learned that there was a
gentleman who reads palms and since I was in New Orleans and in a shop such as
this one, I signed up for an appointment the next morning.
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| Only in New Orleans |
I found my
tour group and checked-in. There was
still some time to go and they asked if I would like to carry a beverage with
me on the tour. Once again, I love this
city! I went to an adjoining bar and
ordered the most famous cocktail on ‘Bourbon
Street’, a “Hurricane”. The barman saw my tour sticker and said that
I was entitled to a second free drink because they had an arrangement with the tour
operator. I said to him that I was by
myself and so he asked if I wanted him to “make
me a double”, words to which I found myself saying “Yes”. And so he did,
handing me the party cup and saying that I shouldn’t drink it too fast. You know it’s a stiff drink when the guy
making it tells you that. Whatever his
advice, I was done with that before the tour commenced.
For the
next couple of hours we walked about the area and were all entertained with
stories of haunted hotels, gruesome killings, demon dogs, cannibals and all
things scary. Plus I learned how “Voodoo” is akin to a religion and how
there are actual “Vampire Societies”
in existence. After the tour was done, I
walked back through the ‘French Quarter’
to get to my hotel but was stopping frequently to visit the chic boutiques and
other shops that can be found on every corner.
This to me is the real treasure of this neighborhood rather than the
bars. For dinner I was on my way to a
place called the ‘Grill Room at Windsor
Court Hotel’, which was supposed to have a good “Chef’s Tasting Menu”. The
hotel itself is fantastic and looks steeped in luxury with grand exteriors,
marble flooring and lush carpets. The
restaurant décor was perfect, with its lighting and the view of the courtyard
below. Plus it was raining outside,
which is an ideal scenario in a setting like this. The dinner went well and afterwards being
back at the hotel, I reflected on a day well spent.
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| The famous 'Cafe Du Monde' |
The next morning I was headed to the famous ‘Café
Du Monde’ to have its famous coffee, though they are also known for their ‘Beignets’. Now, while the rest of the world loves this
concoction, the one time I had ‘Beignets’
during my previous visit, I had found them to be carriers for massive amounts
of powdered sugar. I waited in the long
line to get a table and to the surprise of the server, just ordered a cup of
coffee. The café itself has a
semi-outdoor open feel to it with tables that are lined up right next to each
other. Just as I finished my coffee, the
heavens opened and for the next 30 minutes it was me dodging in an out of
shops, most of which were quite interesting.
I had brunch reservations at a place called ’Court of Two Sisters’ and not just any brunch, but a New Orleans
style buffet with jazz music in the background.
As I feasted on – amongst other things – creole seafood omelet, I watched a grandfather dance with a little toddler girl with the jazz musicians joyfully
playing them on. There was one last
thing to do before meeting my colleagues for a trip to Gonzales.
I had made
an appointment to have my fortune read at ‘Reverend
Zombie’s Voodoo Shop’ and that’s where I was headed. I came there and waited while the person who
was going to be my “fortune teller”
prepared himself. Just earlier he had
been outside chatting with the rest of the staff and perhaps this was just a
way to enter into whatever spiritual plane he needs to go to. I went inside and we started with a palm
reading. He was using a pen to draw
lines on my palm and by the time he was done, my palm had more lines than an
architectural design. During my time
there I learned that I was on my 9th life and in at least 2 of my
previous lives I had been a “public
figure”. In fact, in my previous life I was “the man of the people”. He
then went on to say that there was some sort of “déjà vu” manifesting itself in my life and I should try some
meditation and just “chillax”. Oh and I also need to ask for my “soul-piece” back from someone. He then
laid out the “Tarot cards” and I
picked “The Hermit”, “10 of Cups inverted”, “6 of swords” and finally “The Devil”. There was something about not caring about
material possessions, meeting someone special and travelling. Well, that and the “Devil” of course!
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| On a Mississippi barge |
With this,
the vacation part of my trip was over and it was time to get to Gonzales. I went back to the hotel to pick up my bag
and take a cab to the airport. One of my
colleagues was already there with a car and he picked up along with one more
person. We then rode through the swamp
for almost an hour to get to Gonzales, where the biggest attraction is the
Outlet Mall. I was here as a part of my
Company’s “Cultural Advisory Board”
and we were visiting our ‘River
Operations’ office in Convent, which is another 30 minutes from
Gonzales. The next day, after a round of
meetings, we got to ride in our boats on the Mississippi and go on our barges
that transport coal and other commodities up river. Before that was a session learning to wear
the life jackets and also what to do if overboard, including a move where we put
our hands around our throat as if chocking oneself! It was a good day, as was the next one, not
to mention the grand southern food we were served for lunch. The day of our departure was a long car ride
back to the New Orleans airport but it had been a great visit. I had been in the city for a little over 24
hours but had managed to cover a lot of ground.
Onword to the next stop on the journey.
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