New Orleans, a love hate relationship

New Orleans is a wonderful city. The food is increible, the people are like no other, the history is intriguing and the architecture is simply beautiful. I have all ways had a love for the Cajun and Creole cuisine, the spices they use give it a flavor like no other. The heat from the spices is just enough to give you that feeling deep in your throat, it doesn’t over power the flavor of the main ingredient, and it just gives it that unique flavor that is New Orleans.

The French and Spanish history is felt in the architecture around the French Quarters. With the narrow roads and colorful buildings, it is a great place to take pictures. Jen and I discussed going back by ourselves in the near future so we can take our time and get the shots we want to get at the right time of day with the best lighting.

Like the title says I have a love hate relationship with the Big Easy. I love the food, people, history, and architecture, but I hate the night life .Of course I have never been much of a partier, especially when it comes to clubs and bars, and this town never sleeps. I mean seriously, I woke up at 8 AM Sunday morning to take pictures and while I was walking down Bourbon St, there were at least 3 bars opened and at least a dozen or so people at the bars drinking…..I mean seriously people, come on it is 8 AM on a Sunday morning, do you really need to toss back a cold one that early.

But seriously, this town has an evil side. I mean strip joints all over, girls, bars, girls, clubs, girls and drunk girls on top of that. I am not perfect ,by all means, I strive my best to be the person God wants me to be, but the temptations of this place is way, way strong. So the best thing for me to do at night is, you guessed it, STAY IN THE HOTEL. I did go to Bourbon St for a few hours on Sat. night, but it definitely was as much as I could take. A lot of this stuff I just don’t get, I mean I never understood the whole bead thing, I mean I understand it, but I just don’t understand it. If that makes any sense. I mean if a chick wants to show off her stuff, why not just go around pulling your shirt up for all the guys you are attracted too, I mean do these ladies think that the are a more classier women because the did it for beads? I mean really, and what was up with the whole fascination with the penis, there was this one chick that was caring around an inflatable penis, it was like 5 foot tall. I just don’t understand.

Don’t get me wrong there are a lot of great establishments on Bourbon St; I enjoyed the time we had at Pat O’Brien’s, they had great food and a great atmosphere, but that is where my fun stopped on Bourbon St. that night. After Pat O’s we went to the Cats Meow Karaoke bar, which is the first place I say inflatable penis girl, I spent the entire time watching some chick get up and act like she was some kind of super rock star, singing and dancing provocatively on the stage, while all the guys in the crowd tried to look up her, short, short dress.

The best time, I had on the trip was the time Jen and I spent walking the Quarters and down the Moon Walk by the Mississippi. I missed my girls, but it definitely was relaxing not having to chase a 4 year old all over the Quarters and have a 10 year old complain when she did not want to do want the rest of the family was doing.

Also the other best time was, after we left “Britanny Spears” back at the Cats Meow, we stopped by my new friend Rafael Amandis‘s place La Habana Hemingway Cigars on Toulouse St. And grabbed a few of his house cut cigars, San Gabriel " Smoofh, they are very very Smoofh" and then went back and sat in the court yard and relaxed with a cigar and a Hawaiian Punch.

Also on a side note, I believe New Orleans to be border line communist; there was no where in the entire city that I could get a sweet tea, another item to add to the love hate list.