Day One.
Clearing immigration in the USA is always a lengthy procedure, but when you have a boat-load of 3000+ passengers it can turn into a nightmare. On the ship we were allocated a colour coded sticker to indicate our turn to leave the ship. We were grey which was the third on the list.
At around 9.30 the group before us got called to the theatre, the next stage in the disembarkation process, so we assumed it wouldn’t be too long before we got the summon. An hour later we were called to the theatre where we waited and waited and waited. Occasionally we would be shuffled from one side to another but it was gone 12.00 when we eventually departed the ship. Once ashore we joined yet another long queue eventually getting our passports stamped at around 12.40. A very long process but we were now in New Orleans.
The cruise terminal sits adjacent to a large shopping mall which you have to pass through on your journey to the city centre. Once through the mall we were on a riverside walk in the beautiful Louisiana sunshine.
We wanted to visit the French quarter today so we took a tram from the Canal St. station towards the city. The trams are brilliant a set single fare is $1.25 but for oldies like Sylvia and I a day pass (for both trams and buses) costs a mere 80c.
After the short tram ride we made our way to Jackson Square which is located at the edge of the French Quarter.
The place was buzzing with visitors from around the world admiring the paintings that hung from the railings around the square. A band was playing in the road in front of the cathedral and this was to be a common sight as we made our way through the quarter.
In fact music could be heard everywhere we went, coming either from street buskers or from the many bars and restaurants.
We walked the two main streets of the French Quarter, Royal Street and Bourbon Street, admiring the architecture. One of the more unique features of the buildings are the cast iron galleries which are often festooned with decorations.
By this time we were both getting a little tired and thirsty so decided to try the Cafe Du Monde, probably the most popular restaurant in New Orleans. It is famous for its chicory cafe au lait and the beignets. These are small donut-like fritters which are liberally coated with icing sugar. Unfortunately the crowds were massive and although we found a table it was covered with an inch thick layer of icing sugar.
We found a small cafe on the side of Jackson Square where we decided to have a little snack, me a chicken sandwich and Sylvia a caramel cheesecake. I had forgotten how big American portions are!!!
Now fully refreshed we caught the tram back to the ship as we were off on a trip this evening. Arriving at the cruise terminal at around 4.00pm we were surprised to learn that some of our fellow passengers had only just cleared immigration. It’s a good job we are here until tomorrow.
The evening excursion was a meal at a jazz cafe together with live entertainment. No matter what type of music it is you cannot, in my opinion, beat a good live band – and this was a great one. Playing a selection of traditional jazz classics they had the audience clapping, singing and dancing along. A great evening which was made even better when the food arrived. This was a four course offering of Gumbo, Salad, a main of Beef or Prawns followed by either pecan pie or bread pudding. A lovely meal which we managed to finish despite our earlier snack.
This was a highlight of the trip and almost made up for the delay in leaving the ship this morning.
Day Two.
As we left the ship this morning we could see that the way through the shopping mall was closed so we took a slightly different route into the city. We passed some of the large hotels and a couple of casinos before arriving at Canal Street.
This is a wide thoroughfare with tram lines running up the centre between lines of palm trees. As you look up the street,to the left is the business area of the city whereas to the right lies the entertainment of the French Quarter.
We continued our walk through the relatively quiet streets, it was still before 9.30, passing a statue of the founder of the city.
The main focus of todays walk was to visit the French Market, which originally was a place where the residents bought all their fruit and veg etc. Now though it is very much a tourist area where local craft stalls are mixed with the usual tee shirt and souvenir stands.
At one end of the market stands a gold plated statue of the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc. This was donated by the French city in the early seventies.
At the far end of the market stands the Old US Mint of New Orleans which now houses the Jazz Museum. Having visited many music museums on our trips to Nashville and Memphis we were interested on how this one would compare. It had some very good exhibits including a history of jazz drumming and a whole room dedicated to Louis Prima. Disappointingly there was no timeline showing the history of jazz in the city which, in my opinion, would have made for a better experience.
It has been a great couple of days in the Big Easy. Its an interesting city which has a very lively nightlife and plenty to keep tourists occupied.
Two more sea days now before we reach Miami.