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Feb. 27th, 2006 08:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sophiaserpentiaI am in New Orleans.
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lady_babalon and A. and i arrived Saturday afternoon, and it's been a whirlwind of parades, walking, and fantastic food since then. There are a few friends i hope to catch up with (including some of you) between now and Thursday.
Since we haven't been through any of the areas that received the worst of the devastation, it's actually been slow to dawn on me how deep the devastation runs. On our first ride from the airport, we saw some fences and trees still blown down, tarps on roofs, piles of dead trees and torn out sheetrock, and so on, but not, at first, anything worse than what i've seen in other cities where there had recently been a hurricane. It was a whole day before we learned how to see the waterline marks on all the buildings around us... and they are in evidence on virtually every building, except those which have been recently painted. Riding back home in a taxi last night we passed through one of the residential areas between Claiborne and City Park Avenue... this area is literally a ghost town, with maybe one illuminated house per every three or four blocks. So many, too many, of the businesses are still closed, even in the relatively well-populated parts of the city.
There is much good cheer on display, enough that Mardi Gras feels more or less like the Mardi Gras i came to know in my time here. Many of the closed businesses have signs saying they will be open again soon. There is little reason to doubt that New Orleans will go on.
lady_babalon and A. and i arrived Saturday afternoon, and it's been a whirlwind of parades, walking, and fantastic food since then. There are a few friends i hope to catch up with (including some of you) between now and Thursday.Since we haven't been through any of the areas that received the worst of the devastation, it's actually been slow to dawn on me how deep the devastation runs. On our first ride from the airport, we saw some fences and trees still blown down, tarps on roofs, piles of dead trees and torn out sheetrock, and so on, but not, at first, anything worse than what i've seen in other cities where there had recently been a hurricane. It was a whole day before we learned how to see the waterline marks on all the buildings around us... and they are in evidence on virtually every building, except those which have been recently painted. Riding back home in a taxi last night we passed through one of the residential areas between Claiborne and City Park Avenue... this area is literally a ghost town, with maybe one illuminated house per every three or four blocks. So many, too many, of the businesses are still closed, even in the relatively well-populated parts of the city.
There is much good cheer on display, enough that Mardi Gras feels more or less like the Mardi Gras i came to know in my time here. Many of the closed businesses have signs saying they will be open again soon. There is little reason to doubt that New Orleans will go on.
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Date: 2006-02-27 03:12 pm (UTC)I don't think I've ever mentioned it to you, but my little (lol - he's 6' 4", 300+ pounds) brother lives in New Orleans. He wasn't born there, was 19 before he ever saw it, but its home for him too. He was so relieved to get back there, and went back far sooner than I think I'd have gone.
Have fun while you're there!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-27 04:59 pm (UTC)That's the most positive assessment of the situation I've heard in some time now. I am glad to hear it from you. If anything happens while you are there to change your tune about this optimism, please share.
And have fun at Mardi Gras--eat some jumbalaya for me!
:-)
Hey
Date: 2006-02-27 11:36 pm (UTC)glad your in town for a visit..
It's hard to live here right now and to see the destruction
all day every day...
we need for people like you to come in for a vist and to try
to tell others just what we are dealing with.
oh.. and we apreciate your tourist dollars as well..
thanks for comming down.. and do have fun with mardi gras.
maybe i'll bump into you around town..
ZOe
no subject
Date: 2006-02-28 02:36 am (UTC)I just wanted to let you know that I find your posts about religion and politics very thought provoking. I hope you don't mind that I added you.
Sincerely,
Meg