Lundi gras (that means “Fat Monday”,) New Orleans
March 7th
Our main objective was to catch a few of the Mardi Gras parades and soak up a little atmosphere in New Orleans. We were expecting large crowds of people and were a little worried about the parking and safety situation. We decided to drive in to New Orleans around 10 AM and park near the Superdome, which was both close to the highway and within reasonable walking distance of the parade route and the French quarter. When we arrived at the Superdome, we saw some “floats in waiting” parked outside and found some deserted parking garages. We didn’t want to leave the car in a deserted place, so we drove around until we found a garage manned by an attendant. When we asked him how much it was for the day, he told us “It’s Mardi Gras, it’s free.” That was the first big surprise. This part of the city felt relatively empty. When we got to St. Charles street, we saw the remnants (beads, hot dog wrappers and beer bottles) littering the street from Sunday’s parades. They had set up bleachers (with pay-for seats) for parade watchers, but there were plenty of spots to stake out a space for free. It was a little early to get our parade spot (the first one was scheduled for 5:15pm) so we continued towards Canal Street and the Waterfront. The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club organized a “Lundi Gras” festival on the waterfront complete with 3 music stages and lots of good home-cooking so we hung out for a while listening to some jazz and traditional rock-and-roll. We also saw the king of their parade (which we saw on Mardi Gras morning), known as “Mr. Big Stuff” dressed up in a feathered headdress. From there we stopped at Jackson Square to watch some break dancers and walked through the French Quarter to the French Market where they had a special “Carnival Masks market” of handmade masks in feathers, ceramic and leather. There was also live music (It’s hard to find a street corner without some form in entertainment in the French Quarter. Many of the homes and hotels were decorated in the Mardi Gras colors. We finally arrived on Bourbon Street which was packed with people. The cheap daiquiris and beer (and projectile beads) must have distracted them from the putrid smell of trash and spilt beer. I guess we were still too sober, but Bourbon Street didn’t have the same charm of the surrounding streets at this time of the day.
Around 3:00, we headed back to St. Charles Street to stake out our parade spot. We walked down to Lee Circle which had a large grassy area and a nice view of the parade route. We camped out on the grass with a local newspaper and beer (discretely hidden in a brown bag, though I doubt anyone cared) waiting for the parade to start. There was a nice breeze, but as the sun went down, it got very chilly. We watched the locals unloading their gear- chairs, coolers, ladders (so the kids could see over the heads of the adults.) Some of the ladders were painted in bright colors and elaborately decorated for the occasion. The first parade, organized by the Krewe of Proteus finally got to us around 6:30pm. The parade began with a marching band and men on horseback and foot carrying flaming torches. The theme was Egyptian mythology and the mythical sea creature floats were exquisitely painted. The parade lasted for more than an hour with each float led by a band and riders. In addition to the traditional beads, they threw illuminate seahorses to the onlookers. The second parade was organized by the Krewe of Orpheus. Orpheus started with people in miniature cars and other strange vehicles. Their best float was an enormous train with New Orleans music. Around 9pm, we were freezing and exhausted from being on our feet all day so we headed back to the hotel for a restful evening before another day of of New Orleans fun.
Tags: BIG TRIP 2011, In English 2005-2006, Louisiana
Administrator
Leave a Reply