I am currently sitting on a brick patio in New Orleans within feet of banana trees, pepper plants and myrtles. The weather here is incredible, not like is has been on my previous visits. I usually tell people that summers here are like walking through a sauna. It's a great day for a hammock but this plastic chair is doing me just fine. I love walking down the street here because people are friendly. They don't just say hello, they say it with warmth and a smile. Even the chocolate coffee tastes better here. Yumm. My host calls this place Jurassic Park because of the insect noises at night. Surrounded by big leaved plants and cicadas does sort of remind me of dinosaur land.
Like a jerk, I brought my camera and forgot the memory card. I'm sure that it's still lodged in my printer from the last time I transferred pictures to my computer. It's a shame that I can't capture these banana trees or Carl the spider but I guess it does mean that I have to come back really soon. I try to make it here once a year to visit my best friend and I have for the most part.
There is no other place like New Orleans. It certainly has it's own charm and way of being. The mix of Spanish, French and American influence is striking and the streets are rich with history. I suppose the American influence would be the huge trucks that sweep the French Quarter every night to suck up the trash left behind by partying locals and tourists. The locals have such pride in this place and I'm sure that developed even more after the storm. If you came back it meant that you truly love this place. It has been mostly rebuilt and carries on in a way that most other places couldn't.
With so much happening here it's amazing how still the energy feels. I could sit here for hours listening to birds and watching the leaves sway in the breeze and still feel like I've accomplished something. I'm not sure how that works. Maybe it's the heat that invites one to relax and take notice. Whatever it is, it makes for a good vacation.
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