After having a delicious meal at an Authentic Ethiopian restaurant (you're meant to eat with your hands!) we went to see Wicked in Austin at the Texas University stadium which was amazing!
The next day...All set up with supplies, we set off for Louisiana!
Our first stop in Louisiana was a small town called Lafayette. It was just what we had hoped (really we were searching for a place just like Bon Temps if any of you have seen "True Blood" and it didn't disappoint!) everyone had STRONG Louisiana accents, there were swamps everywhere, old style houses and GREAT seafood!
As a lot of Louisiana is below sea level they have overground tombs which were interesting to see. We learnt about the Acadian culture that is a massive influence in Louisiana (Bon temps is actually a phase you see around a lot as they emigrated from France).
The next morning we set off for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. So much of the journey was on bridges (we crossed the 14th longest bridge in the world!! 18miles long) because of the swamps.
We didn't wait long to get in the party spirit when we arrived. We headed straight to The famous Bourbon street, home to live jazz music and crazy people. We sat and had a drink whilst listening to cajun folk music, and yes this photo was taken about lunch time....
A jazz band came through the streets and I collected my first beads - I was VERY excited but little did I know how many more were to come!
You can drink on the streets in New Orleans as long as your drink is in a paper bag - everyone was doing it so we embraced this hobo tradition....
The parades were fantastic - loud music, jazz bands, cheerleaders and most importantly the floats handing out beads!!
Back to Bourbon street later that evening for some partying. Sights like this were not rare....
As you can see below me it was packed full of people all in the mardi gras spirit.
Stevie couldn't resist a work related gimmick.....
The next day we rode on an old street car - unlike San Francisco people do use them to get around, not just tourists.
We wondered around the French Market when we soon realized bloody Mary's seemed to be the breakfast of choice - we did not partake in this tradition!
The view from the riverside
All the houses were decorated beautifully for the festival season.
More entertaining parades and yes more beads....
Mardi Gras fever does seem to get to everyone, these plastic beads that ordinarily would not interest you become a must have commodity that is just irresistible!
I'm drinking a cleverly disguised daquiri called "the attitude adjuster". For me an attitude adjustment meant needing a half hour nap in order to continue with the day... Rock and roll.....
Love the Pom Pom shoes all the cheerleaders were wearing.
Even Stevie succumbed to the bead fever. It was hilarious to see your usual hooded, scary looking youths adorned with many sparkling beads, we didn't dare take a picture of any of them though!
I then moved on from beads and began coveting cups....
Every parade was finished with a fire engine and convicts on community service cleaning up behind.
Stevie decided to go for the gangster look in order to pull off wearing so many beads...
Our accumulated bounty....
Unfortunately we had to leave most of it so we decided to leave a message for the cleaning lady written in beads on the floor.
We passed some hilarious place names and managed to get the camera out in time for this one.
We did not just fall off when we got to the top of this bridge as I suspected looking at it from this perspective...
Next stop Chicago....
Location:Austin to Louisianna
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