New Orleans - is a major USA port city and historically the largest city in the US state of Louisiana (LA). It is in southeastern Louisiana along the Mississippi River, just south of Lake Pontchartrain, and is coextensive with Orleans Parish. New Orleans is known for its multicultural heritage as well as its music and cuisine. It is considered the birthplace of jazz. Its status as a world-famous tourist destination is due in part to its architecture and its annual Mardi Gras. New Orleans's population - 484,674, but Hurricane Katrina in 2005 caused the city's evacuation. Population estimates as of June 2006 range from 192,000 to 230,000.
The definitive image of New Orleans is the fabulous French Quarter, in particular Bourbon Street. Made famous in Song, Literature, TV and Movies it lives up to both its name and reputation. From its iconic lacy iron balconies down to the boisterous bars and steamy sex shops beneath it never lets you down. During the day it is like stepping into the pages of a Mark Twain story but at night New Orleans is an altogether different animal. When this town hots up it doesn’t stop till it reaches full boil. The bars simply ooze low life glee, sticky floors, sweaty, stinking and beautiful. Music is omnipresent invariably soulful and mean; it shakes you up and lays you out, or is that the drinks, which are always large and often bewilderingly strong. Sure it can get heavy. But what do you expect. This is a big city and like any city it has an ugly side.
Daytime is for strolling and taking advantage of that other New Orleans religion Eating. This is food heaven. From the powder sugared beignets washed down with chicory coffee at The Cafй Du Monde (in business since the civil war) to oysters and white wine at Casamento’s. You can splash out in style at Antoine’s the oldest family run restaurant in the US; the place that caused Cecil b DeMille to exclaim, "Many a chef has created a dish, but only God could have cooked that fish." For more international flavours the Bayona is tops, imagine it - cream of garlic soup, sweetbreads with lemon-caper butter, and grilled shrimp with coriander. If you want dinner to be an event you’ve got to check out Emeril’s it’s noisy, its crazy and the food’s excellent. Why not combine eating with a bit of learning and enrol at the New Orleans School of Cooking, where, for around $20/$30 you get a three hour lesson in Cajun cooking and also get to enjoy the fruits of your education at the end.
New Orleans takes the ‘Dark Side’ very seriously. Even the most ardent cynic would be wise not to scoff. Voodoo is still widely practiced (by at least 15% of the population) and almost universally respected here. At the Voodoo Spiritual Temple in the French Quarter Priestess Miriam Chamani practices spiritual healing rituals based on Afrocentric American Voodooism continuing the tradition established by her ancestor Dr John (not the musician) in the 1820s. The Historic Voodoo Museum is also a shop. A guide is on hand to explain what the exhibits are for and you can buy everything you need from gris-gris to Baron Samedi dolls.
The best time to visit New Orleans is Mardi Gras, which takes place during the weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday. The main event is Fat Tuesday the traditional last chance to overindulge before lent. Famous for the legendary bead and coin throwing parades it is undoubtedly one of the best parties you could wish to be at. To say that Mardi Gras is colourful is an understatement Frenzied is more like it. The whole world and his dog are completely off their heads. As exhausting as it is invigorating words cannot truly capture the madness. New Orleans doesn’t so much push the boat out as launch the whole damn armada.