NEW ORLEANS IN A BOWL OR TWO :

Ten hours in the Mysterious city of New Orleans AKA Nola have left me begging for more! this is my story, welcome aboard :D

Being a last moment plan, not a lot of time (and money) could be spared for NOLA in the road trip, they only agreed to on the extra 900 miles & 13 hours of driving (from near about 19 hours & 1289 miles run between New York - Miami Everglades to about 32 hours with 2171 Behind the wheel) because of my obsessive fixation on the urban legend of "Marie Laveau - The queen of voodoo."

Something to snack on :)

The urban Legend of Marie Laveau - The Queen of Voodoo" Video Credits: starbuckwylde

Lets' cut to the chase :)

we reached New Orleans somewhere in the early afternoon, we had been driving for - forever and both of the young ladies had almost lost it on me on several occasions. Thousands of curse words and bottles of alcohol later (no drunk driving - obviously) we reached and all three of us were amazed by how stunning the view was, one road, water on both sides and the amazingness that I don't think that I can describe in words.

19 hours 1200 miles and thousands of bad words later, it was time to experience the true meaning of “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” known to the common man as “Let the good times roll!.” we had arrived but so had our "cheapness" it turned out that our event planner, (she who must not be named :D obviously due to reasons pertaining to "Permissions") had left budget for only one of two things:- (hold your breath for this one)

1. A one-day hotel stay, OR

2. ALCOHOL (DA-DA-DA-DAAAAAA)

Well the choice was obvious! we parked the car a dingy parking lot because one, it was free (dah) & secondly. there was nobody to watch us change our clothes in the car like 3 lunatics! (yes we changed in the freakin car). we head straight to our first stop of the evening (more like afternoon) bourbon street

The first thing we lay our eyes was on this beautiful bowl made out of sugar spice and everything nice :D literally "EVERYTHING NICE" I could only finish one bowl before I got full as in anticipation, I had already started getting butterflies in my tummy (visiting Mary Laveau's grave) I really wanted to make a wish in-front of the grave but all I could do was to wait as the girls slurped one bowl after the other. (THIS IS SPARTAAAAA!). Once they were done I insisted on heading to the grave but people had different plans, they told me whats the fun in going to a spooky place in broad daylight? but little did I understand about the layers of hidden meaning and evil behind that sentence, so i agreed

We walked around the quarter and reached this really cool flea market where we saw all kinds of shops, some offered hair breading some offered to give spiritual advice, the awesome twosome that I was travelling with decided to pay $20 each to get their palms read, well don't remember much of that forecast, but in the middle of it something interesting happened, in the middle of the first palm reading session the lady stopped and looked at me (not giving a f**k and walking around) and said to me, & I quote " you think you're too tough right? stop thinking that coz you're as soft as a marshmallow inside," she stopped to give me a creepy grin and asked me show her my palm. to which se continued, "You're gonna have two sets of twins you know that," after which she looked at she who must not be named and gave her a nod. well it was intriguing at that point for both of us because we had been seeing each other for a couple of months now. (rest assured, that prophecy did not and can not come true! sigh)

post this "traumatising yet exciting at the same time" experience I decided that I needed the alcohol in my system, I did not care if it was two in the afternoon, I was ready to get "bourbon Faced at Shit Street" (and that gets me to my second recommendation. unfortunately I don't have a picture of the same so I copied one from google! Source: A TASTE OF HEAVEN) served in a "Fish Bowl" (the big reveal) container with a convenient neck strap. Not many people can tell what's inside the fishy bowl, but I'd say it contains enough alcohol for you to need that strap around your neck :D. a lot of people shy away from the drink, I still say drink one up and the "jazz" starts to kick in :D.

Here is a list of a few things that i recommend doing:

1. Drink like a FISH BOWL like a fish :D

2. Eat Gumbo - FYI I ate at Gumbo shop (MAP)

3. Live music at Frenchman street. (MAP)

4. Admire the beautiful French architecture throughout the city

5. Take time out to walk around the french quarter and sit by the bank of the Mississippi River.

6. Visit the Graveyard I, II, III (MOST IMPORTANT)

some things that i really wanted to do but couldn't

1. Take a ghost tour.

2. Take a voodoo tour

3. visit St. Josephs' Church

4. Drink different/more drinks

5. spend at-least 2 more days in the city (might have found Niklaus Mikaelson AKA Klause)

Last But most Importantly Visit the grave of Mary Laveau, yes I could not visit the grave & could not make my wish so that remains on my bucket list. for security reasons the graveyards are shut down latest by 6:00 PM, so if you are planning to visit, do so before 6:00 PM, so until the next visit!

Do let me know your stories! how you were fun in the big easy!

<3

with love

Sid ;)