3 nights in the Bahamas.
The USA "waivers" the requirement of obtaining a visa if you intend to only stay in the country for 90 days. Although we fully intended to stay for longer than that when looking at obtaining a Visa it was a complicated and expensive process so we just winged it and pretended we were leaving earlier than we actually were!
As long as you leave the country (even for just a minute) you get your 90 days re-set so we had a long think about where to go. The options were Canada or Mexico...that is until we thought about going to the Bahamas!!! When we checked the prices it was cheap and we were excited by the prospect of a few days tropical paradise!
Trying to book the trip was much harder than expected as we couldn't book using our English credit card, so thankfully Kristen came to our rescue and trusted us enough to book the trip on her card and we wired her the money! Eternally grateful for the favour!!!
So the very next day (call us last minute!) we hopped onto a small properlor plane which looked very old and in less than half an hour we landed in Freeport! This little island is the closest to America hence the deal was so cheap, you can practically see the mainland from there!
When we got into the cab, our driver asked us why we were staying so far out of town...ooops! We hadn't really researched into it very well and he was right, the hotel was in the middle of nowhere!! When we arrived the receptionist did not have our reservation and didn't seem that eager to help us either. She became even more hostile when we answered her question of "are you timeshare guests?" with a very polite "no". It seems that at the Xanadu Beach resport, unless you are a timeshare guest, you are not worth speaking to!
We finally prised incredibly difficult information out of her such as where our room was, what time breakfast was etc, and the big one...where is the bar..? She loooked at us and said there's a convention going on so if you need a drink ask her (pointing to a lady) and she'll get it for you.
The convention was full of big Mamma's in their best attire being sold more timeshare slots undoubtedly! When we asked "the lady" for a couple of beers she pointed to a makeshift bar in the middle of the convention outside so off we went and sat in the middle of it all! There was great music and dancing going on for all of 5 minutes then the bar shut and everyone went to their rooms, guess that must have been about 10pm! Not a soul in sight!!
The next day dawned extremely sunny and hot so after breakfast we checked out the beach, and oh what a beach!! It had the perfect white sand, turquise water and gentle waves slowly lapping at the sand. Perfect!! We promptly comandeered 2 sunloungers underneath a palm covered umbrella thing and relaxed very hard. Then the man came...did we know we had to pay for the loungers? We said we were staying at the Xanadu and surely guests didn't have to pay? Oh no, you see the chairs belong to the timeshare guests!! Not with the timeshares again we thought! He said we might be able to get some vouchers from Hattie, the resort rep and he let us off paying for now...cool guy.
Karl got chatting to a really nice couple at the beach bar (saving grace of the hotel!) and they said they had booked excursions with Hattie that sounded really cool, so off we went to speak to her.
Little did we know that she was a timeshare salesperson disguised as a very helpful lady!!! Come to our meeting, you get free breakfast blah blah blah...Karl asked how long the meeting went on for and she COULD NOT believe such a question could possibly be asked of her! The outrage.
When we finally escaped, we had booked into a bonfire party at another resort for the Sunday. That was a great night, we met so many nice people including Barry and Linda from California who we will be meeting us again with!! The BBQ food was great, lots of ribs chicken and stuff and the cocktails were all included in the price and a good time was had by all!
Also we had the good fortune to meet two guys who were working with a car dealership in town, and we can't remember their names right now (sorry guys!) but we had a great laugh with them and were checking out stuff on Utube one evening and they also kindly gave us a lift to the airport when we were leaving.
We also would really recommend anyone that goes to Freeport try and stay in or close to Port Lucaya. What a gorgeous place! We checked out the market there one afternoon, strolled along the waterfront before a beautiful dinner watching the spectacular sunset and then danced the night away to a live band. We also met about 10 guys from the Phillipine Navy who were docked there, what a lovely bunch of guys they were! So unassuming, polite and friendly! Although afterwards Karl and I managed to piece together that they were actually kitchen and bar staff on the ship which is not what they made it sound like at all but they were all very sweet!
All in all a good few days but they say you get what you pay for and I urge anybody out there not to go to the Xanadu Beach Resort!!!
Death Valley and Yosemite National Parks with Adam & Sarah:
We had met up with Adam and Sarah in Vegas, they had kept a couple of nights free on their 2 week schedule to be used for the journey between Vegas and San Francisco, so they could try out the RV lifestyle. So we left Vegas and within a few hours we were on the edge of Death Valley, looking down from a vantage point upon it. None of us were too sure what to expect, from reading our guide books we had ascertained that it is known for its extremes: It is North America's driest and hottest area, with fewer than 2 inches of rainfall a year and a record high of 134o F. But to understand this unique park you really have to visit it for yourself.
The view from Dantes Point didn't jump out at us, it was basically a large oval shaped bowl surrounded on all sides by hills with very little growing down there. Photo! We descended into the Valley to see it up close. We headed for the Badwater Basin and the aptly named Devils Golf Course which is a 200 square mile salt pan and is like nothing I have ever seen before. PHOTO! You are surrounded on all sides by a vast stretching formation of sharp random salt growths, when you get closer you realise that they are as intricate in detail as a snowflake. In places where there are stronger concentrations of the salt it looks like a frozen lake that has had the surface smashed into lumps and when walking on it you can here the salt creaking and straining under your weight.
We then headed to Artists Pallete, which is a loop drive through rock faces to an area that contains volcanic ashes of Yellow, Red, Orange, Green and Purple. The day was drawing in so we journeyed onwards to the campsite, stopping only to have a quick plunge in the “ranch's” swimming pool (which has signs stating that it is not for the use of people staying on the campsite!). The campsite itself sits at 190 feet, BELOW sea level, not too far off the lowest point in the US, which is a couple of miles down the road at 272 feet below sea level. Even though it was now dark the temperature didn't drop and was sitting nicely in the high 90's. That night we had a bonfire and were treated to a beautiful showing of stars above us.
The following day we set off for Yosemite, on the way through the Valley we stopped at the desert area which ripples across 14 square miles, and took a wander into the sand dunes which was rather surreal to say the least. 3 hours later and we found ourselves nearing the mountains, where the temperature was much lower and in the distance we could see snow on the hills! This is one of the amazing things about America, the diverse landscapes mean that you can wake up at -190 feet in near 100o F temperatures, but in no time at all you can be at 9000 feet, surrounded by snow and mountains, simply incredible.
We decided to stop at Mammoth Lakes. The visitors centre pointed us in the direction of Mammoth Lake where boats can be hired for the afternoon. We parked up, in the snow, and rented a pontoon boat. It was great fun just floating around the lake (slowly!) and looking at the surrounding mountains with their snow capped peaks. Adam decided it would be a good idea to go for a swim, the rest of us thought he was mad, but in all fairness to him he climbed off the back of the boat and swam in the icy waters, if only for a few minutes. Photo!
Further up the road and we found camping at a state park with all the essentials, a river and some toilets. We collected some wood and had a nice fire, I insisted on making Adam and Sarah some Schmores – American essential camp snacks! In the morning we drove into Yosemite, and onto the Tioga Pass which is at nearly 10,000 feet and crosses East-West across the width of the Park. The views were reminiscent of the Alps but breathtaking nonetheless. We saw plenty of wildlife in the form of a marmotte Photo!, some deer, plenty of birds, and eventually a bear! We then drove down to Yosemite Valley to cast our eyes upon the waterfalls that cascade 100s of feet down the shear cliff faces. My only regret was that we didn't have more time to explore this vast and beautiful wilderness, but Adam and Sarah only had 2 weeks away so we headed for San Francisco. I would hope that at some point in the future we will get a chance to revisit America, and do a tour of the National Parks, as they are just incredible.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
4 short stories about America
Firstly I would like to thank everyone who has left a message on our message board, we love reading them and finding out who is listening and what is going on back home. Please keep them coming, and feel free to divuldge any gossip that is going on back home as Fran says she is missing it! hehehe
Rather than give you a massive update that you can't be bothered to read, and we don't have the time to write, I thought it would be best if instead we just gave you some short snippets of the best and worst to date. So here they are. (Photos for all of these events are now on Flickr - if you want to see photos of a specific event you can click on TAGS and then the event you are looking for!)
Ups and Downs in the Florida Keys.
Having just got back from the Bahamas (I know, I know, but it wasn't planned until we got to Florida and checked some prices as we needed to renew our 90 day visa waivers – don't worry you didn't miss anything, we went for 3 days and spent most of it on a beach or drinking Baha Muma's) we awoke at John Penekamp Coral Reef State Park. Rumour was that there was diving and snorkelling to be had for a reasonable price, so in the spirit of adventure we thought it was only right to check it out. An hour later and we were on a boat headed for the Reef. We got straight in and Fran was off like a pro – no holding her back! I, on the hand, was having problems with my snorkel and was mostly drinking saltwater. Once that was sorted we had an excellent time and got to see lots of brightly coloured fish, a stingray, a fair amount of coral and lots of seaweed. I am so glad we did this as I now feel more prepared for when we hit the Great Barrier Reef in Oz. Aside from the fishes John Penekamp is a beautiful State Park with lots of wildlife and great weather.
The following day though we headed for Bahia Honda State Park which is much further down the keys, we decided it would be best if we hit Key West that day and relaxed the next. Having got to Key West we realised just how pushed for space they are and that there is next to no parking. Eventually we found a 25'+ parking bay, loaded the meter with $9 of quarters, and hit the town. Its a lively place with a good atmosphere and everyone is up for a good time, even on a Wednesday night! After dinner we headed for the waterfront and watched the sun set over the aptly named 'Sunset Island' to the music of street performers. We had certainly had a good time and felt we had immersed ourselves in the Keys. We wandered the streets back to where the RV had been parked. No you didn't just read that wrongly, I did say “had”... it was gone! First thoughts were that it must have been stolen, but then I thought who would steal an RV plastered with stickers that stands out like that in a place as small as Key West? It must have been towed. AGHHHHHH! A bit of help from some friendly kebab shop workers and phone calls later and we were onboard a taxi with a German family also 1 RV short, en-route to Arnolds car pound. The bill for towing was $180, and we had been (incorrectly!) issued a parking citation. Apparently there is a small sign as you enter Key West that states no vehicle longer than 20' can be parked on the streets. Not the best finish to the night, but we enjoyed the keys anyway.
The Everglades, Florida.
We didn't have much time to explore this gorgeous National Park, only half a day, and this was mostly down to the fact we kind of thought it would be mostly “swamp”!. But that it certainly is not!!! The history of the park is quite sad really as the terrain which is now protected used to be the majority landscape in the state of Florida and now only a snippet is left. Now all the agricultural areas around its use up all the water that would otherwise flood this great plain every year and the water birds and other wildlife that used to thrive here are almost gone (only about 10% left). However...we did still see alligators!! Some up close and personal which was quire scary (one was having a kip next to a path we were walking on!!), others swimming happily around or sunbathing in their own habitat, not bothering anyone. The park has a few miles of board walks that you can explore on which is very environmentally friendly and we got to see loads of fish and turtles too. We also saw hundreds of brightly coloured locusts, one of which got friendly with Karl and nibbled his finger!!!
The drive west out of the Glades was absolutely spectacular, as we were driving into the sunset with a land so flat you can see for miles and miles, we just couldn't believe our luck with the gorgeous red and pinks we could see, and I managed to snap a few cool photo's of the sun setting behind some palm trees whilst looking out for gators in the canal next to us (and yes I saw loads!). I can only liken this scenic road to something out of Africa, not that I've been there, but imagine the Serengeti plains you saw David Attenborough studying lions at and you're almost there!
Things you never thought you'd see in Texas.
We were only passing though the very Northenmost part of Texas, but I feel we still got a good feel for what the rest of it is like. Hot, windy, dry and flat pretty much sums it up. But what an amazing experience it is. I don't think I've ever been anywhere as hot as Texas. When standing outside there is a constant wind in most places, and a hot one at that. It is like standing in front of the worlds largest hand dryer set to maximum. I think you are just about getting the idea, its H O T. But even though it is that hot, you don't get a chance to sweat, as its just so damn dry!
So having camped near Amarillo, I had seen an advert for “The Grand Canyon of Texas – Pablo Duro Canyon”. It would be plain rude not to go and see it while there, and they offered horse riding into the canyon. We arrived at the Ranch, but to be honest it looked more like a deserted shack out of the films. An old cowboy (complete with gun, hat and spurs) approached us as said “You wanna ride?”. Alarm bells were ringing as this guy looked like he didn't have too many rides left in him, and the Canyon did look slightly Grand. We left our reservations behind and went ahead with it anyway (fortunately we hadn't seen the sign that removed all liability from the ranch operator), and half an hour later the Cowboy's son (also a Cowboy - named Jessy) and girlfriend appeared, who would be taking us on our ride (both came complete with spurs, guns and cowboy hats!).
Having been advised to put our trust in the horses, we did just that and they guided us down the steep dusty path to the Canyon below. The canyon must have been 200' deep and was just breathtaking. I have never been overly keen on horses but I must say that Yahtee won me over that day, and I would definitely consider doing something similar in the future. Given my earlier statements about Texas I was surprised to see such a beautiful landscape in such a barren and flat surrounding. Fran's horse had blue eyes and was called Peekaboo, she was cute! It was cool being the only people on the trek that morning as we got talking and were amazed to find out that Jessy and his girlfriend lived at the base of the canyon, what a life!!
On the way out of Texas we stopped past the Cadillac farm, which is exactly as it sounds: A farm of Cadillacs. They have been planted at 45 degrees into a field, at least 10 in a row, but unfortunately they have never taken root. Quite a strange place is Texas, I would like to go back at some point in the future and investigate further...
Petrified Forest - Arizona.
OK so everyone has heard of petrified wood right??? No? Well for those who have not it is basically wood which, millions of years ago, has been covered in silt from a stream and laced with specific minerals which make it turn to rock. Yes, wood turned into stone, pretty cool! The resulting colours are vivid red, purple, orange and green, in fact all colours of the rainbow. Also in the centre of the wood, crystals often grow but unfortunately all the sparkly bits were stolen before this area became protected by the government, and whilst people still rode in on wagons and horses!!! Much of the petrified wood that was stolen was made into tabletops etc and you can see why, when polished they look amazing! The way the petrified wood has fallen is incredible, from a distance it looks like trees have fallen down and been cut into pieces by a saw, but a closer look shows that they are trees fallen and turned to stone, and they have broken up over time, no idea how they broke up into similar sized pieces!! It's hard to describe but it's just beautiful to see and one tree in particular was so huge it towered over me! I think there's a picture to show the huge tree on here somewhere.
Around the same National park we saw the Painted Desert, which is an area of hills which look like they have been blotted with layers of ink. It's hard to describe but they seem to go on forever and are a wonderful sight, a must see in Arizona.
That's all for now folks, next episode: Bahamas, Grand Canyon & Adam & Sarah's visit....!!
Rather than give you a massive update that you can't be bothered to read, and we don't have the time to write, I thought it would be best if instead we just gave you some short snippets of the best and worst to date. So here they are. (Photos for all of these events are now on Flickr - if you want to see photos of a specific event you can click on TAGS and then the event you are looking for!)
Ups and Downs in the Florida Keys.
Having just got back from the Bahamas (I know, I know, but it wasn't planned until we got to Florida and checked some prices as we needed to renew our 90 day visa waivers – don't worry you didn't miss anything, we went for 3 days and spent most of it on a beach or drinking Baha Muma's) we awoke at John Penekamp Coral Reef State Park. Rumour was that there was diving and snorkelling to be had for a reasonable price, so in the spirit of adventure we thought it was only right to check it out. An hour later and we were on a boat headed for the Reef. We got straight in and Fran was off like a pro – no holding her back! I, on the hand, was having problems with my snorkel and was mostly drinking saltwater. Once that was sorted we had an excellent time and got to see lots of brightly coloured fish, a stingray, a fair amount of coral and lots of seaweed. I am so glad we did this as I now feel more prepared for when we hit the Great Barrier Reef in Oz. Aside from the fishes John Penekamp is a beautiful State Park with lots of wildlife and great weather.
The following day though we headed for Bahia Honda State Park which is much further down the keys, we decided it would be best if we hit Key West that day and relaxed the next. Having got to Key West we realised just how pushed for space they are and that there is next to no parking. Eventually we found a 25'+ parking bay, loaded the meter with $9 of quarters, and hit the town. Its a lively place with a good atmosphere and everyone is up for a good time, even on a Wednesday night! After dinner we headed for the waterfront and watched the sun set over the aptly named 'Sunset Island' to the music of street performers. We had certainly had a good time and felt we had immersed ourselves in the Keys. We wandered the streets back to where the RV had been parked. No you didn't just read that wrongly, I did say “had”... it was gone! First thoughts were that it must have been stolen, but then I thought who would steal an RV plastered with stickers that stands out like that in a place as small as Key West? It must have been towed. AGHHHHHH! A bit of help from some friendly kebab shop workers and phone calls later and we were onboard a taxi with a German family also 1 RV short, en-route to Arnolds car pound. The bill for towing was $180, and we had been (incorrectly!) issued a parking citation. Apparently there is a small sign as you enter Key West that states no vehicle longer than 20' can be parked on the streets. Not the best finish to the night, but we enjoyed the keys anyway.
The Everglades, Florida.
We didn't have much time to explore this gorgeous National Park, only half a day, and this was mostly down to the fact we kind of thought it would be mostly “swamp”!. But that it certainly is not!!! The history of the park is quite sad really as the terrain which is now protected used to be the majority landscape in the state of Florida and now only a snippet is left. Now all the agricultural areas around its use up all the water that would otherwise flood this great plain every year and the water birds and other wildlife that used to thrive here are almost gone (only about 10% left). However...we did still see alligators!! Some up close and personal which was quire scary (one was having a kip next to a path we were walking on!!), others swimming happily around or sunbathing in their own habitat, not bothering anyone. The park has a few miles of board walks that you can explore on which is very environmentally friendly and we got to see loads of fish and turtles too. We also saw hundreds of brightly coloured locusts, one of which got friendly with Karl and nibbled his finger!!!
The drive west out of the Glades was absolutely spectacular, as we were driving into the sunset with a land so flat you can see for miles and miles, we just couldn't believe our luck with the gorgeous red and pinks we could see, and I managed to snap a few cool photo's of the sun setting behind some palm trees whilst looking out for gators in the canal next to us (and yes I saw loads!). I can only liken this scenic road to something out of Africa, not that I've been there, but imagine the Serengeti plains you saw David Attenborough studying lions at and you're almost there!
Things you never thought you'd see in Texas.
We were only passing though the very Northenmost part of Texas, but I feel we still got a good feel for what the rest of it is like. Hot, windy, dry and flat pretty much sums it up. But what an amazing experience it is. I don't think I've ever been anywhere as hot as Texas. When standing outside there is a constant wind in most places, and a hot one at that. It is like standing in front of the worlds largest hand dryer set to maximum. I think you are just about getting the idea, its H O T. But even though it is that hot, you don't get a chance to sweat, as its just so damn dry!
So having camped near Amarillo, I had seen an advert for “The Grand Canyon of Texas – Pablo Duro Canyon”. It would be plain rude not to go and see it while there, and they offered horse riding into the canyon. We arrived at the Ranch, but to be honest it looked more like a deserted shack out of the films. An old cowboy (complete with gun, hat and spurs) approached us as said “You wanna ride?”. Alarm bells were ringing as this guy looked like he didn't have too many rides left in him, and the Canyon did look slightly Grand. We left our reservations behind and went ahead with it anyway (fortunately we hadn't seen the sign that removed all liability from the ranch operator), and half an hour later the Cowboy's son (also a Cowboy - named Jessy) and girlfriend appeared, who would be taking us on our ride (both came complete with spurs, guns and cowboy hats!).
Having been advised to put our trust in the horses, we did just that and they guided us down the steep dusty path to the Canyon below. The canyon must have been 200' deep and was just breathtaking. I have never been overly keen on horses but I must say that Yahtee won me over that day, and I would definitely consider doing something similar in the future. Given my earlier statements about Texas I was surprised to see such a beautiful landscape in such a barren and flat surrounding. Fran's horse had blue eyes and was called Peekaboo, she was cute! It was cool being the only people on the trek that morning as we got talking and were amazed to find out that Jessy and his girlfriend lived at the base of the canyon, what a life!!
On the way out of Texas we stopped past the Cadillac farm, which is exactly as it sounds: A farm of Cadillacs. They have been planted at 45 degrees into a field, at least 10 in a row, but unfortunately they have never taken root. Quite a strange place is Texas, I would like to go back at some point in the future and investigate further...
Petrified Forest - Arizona.
OK so everyone has heard of petrified wood right??? No? Well for those who have not it is basically wood which, millions of years ago, has been covered in silt from a stream and laced with specific minerals which make it turn to rock. Yes, wood turned into stone, pretty cool! The resulting colours are vivid red, purple, orange and green, in fact all colours of the rainbow. Also in the centre of the wood, crystals often grow but unfortunately all the sparkly bits were stolen before this area became protected by the government, and whilst people still rode in on wagons and horses!!! Much of the petrified wood that was stolen was made into tabletops etc and you can see why, when polished they look amazing! The way the petrified wood has fallen is incredible, from a distance it looks like trees have fallen down and been cut into pieces by a saw, but a closer look shows that they are trees fallen and turned to stone, and they have broken up over time, no idea how they broke up into similar sized pieces!! It's hard to describe but it's just beautiful to see and one tree in particular was so huge it towered over me! I think there's a picture to show the huge tree on here somewhere.
Around the same National park we saw the Painted Desert, which is an area of hills which look like they have been blotted with layers of ink. It's hard to describe but they seem to go on forever and are a wonderful sight, a must see in Arizona.
That's all for now folks, next episode: Bahamas, Grand Canyon & Adam & Sarah's visit....!!
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
New Orleans in 1.5 days...
Some said "do not bother going to New Orleans it is still devastated"...some said "go to New Orleans it will help rebuild their economy", another said "the bars are all still OK"....Well I'm glad we went as we had an absolute blast whilst there!!
We stayed at an amazing campsite, only two years old with a gym, pool, office with computers and fax machines, and the most amazing bathrooms ever! On top of all this relative luxury for us, the staff took us to the edge of the French Quarter when we wanted to go out (in their golf buggy), and picked us back up (in whatever state, at whatever time) when we'd had enough.
The French Quarter, looks like the name suggests, it could easily be mistaken for Paris, lots of the buildings have ornate iron balcony railings from which gorgeous hanging baskets are displayed, and a peek through their many gates show little courtyards through the back. There are about a million bars and restaurants, you can find anything to suit your taste buds or budget there! We opted for the tackiest cocktails which came in a souvenier plastic bright green "hand grenades", and although there are written warnings about how they may not "taste" alcoholic....well I am sure everyone who knows us will know how much notice we took of the warnings!!!
We met some really fabulous people there and although Mardis Gras was already over when we got there, the vibe is great and we managed to score some Mardis Gras beads from an old veteran which are now gayly decorating the RV.
The next day, and with the biggest hangover of all time following us, we headed downtown to the river and walked along the park which has lots of interesting arty stuff and took in the sights. The business quarter is SO posh, we walked around the corner and left the ratty but friendly vibe of the french quarter, right into people in suits having business lunches, marble staricases and tall modern buildings!! America is so like that all the time, everything is defined as one thing or another and there you have it.
This is not to say that the evidence of Katrina, now 3 years ago can not be seen. When we drove in through the suburbs it was horrible to see lots of wrecked and abandoned houses, some obviously still lived in but with tarpaulines for a roof. This area was obviously badly effected and even the houses which seemed to have survived any serious damage, were uncared for and dilapidated. Of course these poorer areas, referred to as the "slums" would need millions and millions of dollars spent to regain a semblance of normality.
On the bright side though, many brand new houses are being built, more inland to try to avoid a reoccurence of this disaster, and we heard that some of the people from these areas are being re-settled into these new homes which is good.
Unfortunately not all of the residents have had luck in finding an investor and when we left New Orleans through the North side we saw hundreds of homeless people in tents under a highway fly over. That was very sad and it seems that there is no way out for these poor people, some who once had a house and job, unable to go to work following the disaster and consequently losing their jobs, not to mention the businesses which could not afford to keep going in such circumstances. We heard from a lady in one of the kiosks that lots of people are still battling their insurance companies and she herself was still waiting to get her home fixed. What was more upsetting was to hear first hand that people were stuck on their own roof for 5 days before anyone came to help them, needless to say Bush's name is mud down here, which is understandable.
In short, we thought New Orleans was, in all, great fun and we would recommend anyone to go and see it for themselves as only when you're in the heart of it, can you see why the people want to rebuild their lives here.
We stayed at an amazing campsite, only two years old with a gym, pool, office with computers and fax machines, and the most amazing bathrooms ever! On top of all this relative luxury for us, the staff took us to the edge of the French Quarter when we wanted to go out (in their golf buggy), and picked us back up (in whatever state, at whatever time) when we'd had enough.
The French Quarter, looks like the name suggests, it could easily be mistaken for Paris, lots of the buildings have ornate iron balcony railings from which gorgeous hanging baskets are displayed, and a peek through their many gates show little courtyards through the back. There are about a million bars and restaurants, you can find anything to suit your taste buds or budget there! We opted for the tackiest cocktails which came in a souvenier plastic bright green "hand grenades", and although there are written warnings about how they may not "taste" alcoholic....well I am sure everyone who knows us will know how much notice we took of the warnings!!!
We met some really fabulous people there and although Mardis Gras was already over when we got there, the vibe is great and we managed to score some Mardis Gras beads from an old veteran which are now gayly decorating the RV.
The next day, and with the biggest hangover of all time following us, we headed downtown to the river and walked along the park which has lots of interesting arty stuff and took in the sights. The business quarter is SO posh, we walked around the corner and left the ratty but friendly vibe of the french quarter, right into people in suits having business lunches, marble staricases and tall modern buildings!! America is so like that all the time, everything is defined as one thing or another and there you have it.
This is not to say that the evidence of Katrina, now 3 years ago can not be seen. When we drove in through the suburbs it was horrible to see lots of wrecked and abandoned houses, some obviously still lived in but with tarpaulines for a roof. This area was obviously badly effected and even the houses which seemed to have survived any serious damage, were uncared for and dilapidated. Of course these poorer areas, referred to as the "slums" would need millions and millions of dollars spent to regain a semblance of normality.
On the bright side though, many brand new houses are being built, more inland to try to avoid a reoccurence of this disaster, and we heard that some of the people from these areas are being re-settled into these new homes which is good.
Unfortunately not all of the residents have had luck in finding an investor and when we left New Orleans through the North side we saw hundreds of homeless people in tents under a highway fly over. That was very sad and it seems that there is no way out for these poor people, some who once had a house and job, unable to go to work following the disaster and consequently losing their jobs, not to mention the businesses which could not afford to keep going in such circumstances. We heard from a lady in one of the kiosks that lots of people are still battling their insurance companies and she herself was still waiting to get her home fixed. What was more upsetting was to hear first hand that people were stuck on their own roof for 5 days before anyone came to help them, needless to say Bush's name is mud down here, which is understandable.
In short, we thought New Orleans was, in all, great fun and we would recommend anyone to go and see it for themselves as only when you're in the heart of it, can you see why the people want to rebuild their lives here.
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