The trip was different than previous trips I had taken there.  I had been there in the 70's for Mardi Gras in a hippie van with flowered curtains in the window - it was our transportation AND our accomodations!  Had also been there in the 80's with a medical student drummer friend when I danced middle eastern dance to his drumming for tips on Jackson Square - got my only $50 dollar bill tip that day!  A few years ago, had gone with hubby and friends and went to some wonderful restaurants and blues clubs.  You do different things in New Orleans when you are traveling with a twelve year old.  ;-)

    As my son's choir director said, it was not to be "a vacation with a little choir trip thrown in" but the other way around.

   We did manage to get to Bourbon Street the first night while the choir directors had the kids in rehearsal.  It never changes!!  Within the first few minutes we were there, saw a six foot tall transexual guy with what looked like DD breasts, wearing pasties and a G-string talking just as cool as could be to some people on the street outside a strip club.  Then a little further down the street a tourist with a few too many Hurricanes from Pat O'Brien's had proceeded to pull out his....hmmm ..appendage and was waving it around for the revelers on the balcony above to get them to throw Mardi Gras beads. (Usually, it's the gals lifting their shirts for the trinkets and is seen more at Mardi Gras).  It is very decadent and in a way is depressing to me but then I think that for many of the people on the fringes with non-socially accepted lifestyles, it is a place of acceptance for the different or bizarre. 

   On Jackson Square, in the French Quarter, saw the usual entertainers - horn bands playing hot jazz, the "statue" imitators, lots of palm and Tarot card readers, caricaturists, artists, young children with taps on their tennis shoes tapping for tips.  People watching is such fun-you see everything-from Goths to "Junior League" women in their finest.  It's so fun just to sit and watch everyone stroll by.

   We had a sketch done of Brian - it really captured him.  I had my palm read and she was pretty accurate.  We sat at one of the restaurants that line the square and had crawfish etouffe, went to Cafe du Monde and had those wonderful beignets - fried puff French pastries covered in confectioner's sugar.  It's also a great place to people watch and there's usually a ancient sax player on the street serenading you.  You can also watch the horse or donkey drawn carriages with their colorful drivers describing the sights to their tourist riders as they clip-clop by.

   Contrasting with the decadence of Bourbon Street was the "choir" part of the trip.  The first night, the New Orleans Children's Choir gave a performance in a beautiful ballroom with ornate chandeliers. The light was coming through the tall windows and as they sang the sun was setting.  Their voices were so sweet.  The last night we were there the groups who were participating sang at St. Luke's Cathedral, built in 1706.  It is a beautiful basilica with the stained glass windows showing the Miracles of the Bible and soaring arched ceiling with painted works depicting Biblical scenes.  The acoustics were perfect for the children's voices.  They sounded like little angels - the last four songs were performed by all the choirs together - 400 voices.  The songs varied including some classical and religious songs from varied groups - Christian and Jewish.  The closing song was a gospel song "How Shall I Send Thee?"  The guest conductor and arranger did a wonderful job of arranging the piece and preparing the children.  As the children finished, the audience (standing room only) lept to its feet in a standing ovation.  The kids and parents and conductors were just beaming.

   We did a lot of window shopping - you can find EVERYTHING there, and I do mean everything.  One store will feature voodoo dolls, the next gorgeous antiques and paintings and furniture; and on down the street t-shirt vendors (the words on many of which I can not repeat), sex paraphrenlia shops, Cajun cooking stores, beautiful jewelry stores.  Walking down the streets - we did a LOT of walking, one side would be eerie looking abandoned buildings, the other side would have beautiful old brick buildings with the French grillwork balconies with pots of hot pink bougainvilla hanging from the shuttered windows.  As I said a study in contrasts.

   The weather was quite pleasant most of the time - a surprise because New Orleans can be quite "sauna-like" and I come from the Ohio Valley, I KNOW humidity.  There were torrential afternoon storms each day but short-lived and they kept things cool.  The last day as we were waiting at the airport, we looked out the window and there was a rainbow.  You could see the complete rainbow, both ends.  That must be some travel agency, eh to arrange that!

   Now, back home again, finally got all the laundry done and am back into rehearsals for a show this weekend.  Then next weekend, I'm off to Spain for flamenco classes and short vacation.