Arrival!!!

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!!

Outer Journey:

Our endless train ride finally came to a halt when we arrived at our destination, New Orleans! I could feel the anxiousness and excitement radiating off my classmates as they made their way off the train.  To top it all off, we have arrived earlier than our expected time!  Gathering our luggage and getting an Uber took no time at all.  Before you knew it we were at our hotel, Springhill Marriot, waiting for our names to be too called so we could go to our rooms.

Once it our rooms, it was time to freshen up.  Boy did we need it!  Holly, Kim and I each took our turns taking a quick shower and getting ready to begin our journey into the Big Easy.  We met down in the lobby at 5 o’clock (and we were not late!).  From there as a class we walked to the streetcar we would be boarding.  The streetcars were awesome.  They were spacious, clean, and well lit.  Once we got to our stop we walked around.  We got to see where Jackson Square is…which is our meeting destination for our next class.  Then it was dinner time!

We went to Pierre Maspero’s. I had to try the crab cakes as it was highly suggested from our teacher.  I couldn’t just stop there, I also ordered fried alligator bites.  Then Holly and I split the sampler.  The sampler included Cajun Jambalaya, Crawfish Etouffée and Chicken & Andouille Gumbo.  I absolutely did NOT like the Crawfish Etouffée…in my opinion I thought it tasted like dog food.  I’m sure that is not the popular opinion as it is one of their best sellers.  This was my first time trying gumbo and jambalaya and it did not disappoint!

We were supposed to go on our Haunted History Tour, but due to the rain it was rescheduled until Sunday. Due to this myself and some classmates decided to explore what New Orleans had to offer. Our plan was to go to Fritzel’s to listen to Jazz music but our plans were later changed as the music didn’t start until 9:00pm.  We then wandered down Bourbon Street to The Cat’s Meow, this place was great.  We got to see some karaoke, although none of us were brave enough to get up and sing.  Then we went to the Tropical Isle, their famous drink is called a Hand Grenade. I decided to try one before I called it a night.

Before we turned it in for the night Holly, Kim, Cassie, and myself decided to check out the Harras Casino to try our hand with lady luck.  To put it simply, luck was not on my side, but I only played $20 before decided to call it a night.  We got back to the hotel, showered up again after being in the rain all night and spent our time before sleep filling our readers in on our blogs.

Inner Journey:

I felt that I could have dropped to my knees to thank God that we had finally arrived.  I was completely exhausted from being cooped up on the train all day.  I felt like I was dirty from wearing the same clothes and just really needed a shower to wash the exhaustion away!  I can understand why some people kiss the ground after they get off an airplane…they are so thankful to make it to their destination.  I was internally praying that it wouldn’t take long for our luggage to be gathered and to obtain an Uber to our hotel.  Our luggage was quick and our Uber driver was quicker.

Arriving at our hotel gave me a sense of peace.  We had finally arrived and were ready to begin our journey.  The hotel was clean and very nice looking.  Our rooms were inviting and provided a sense of “home” for our week long journey.  As great as it was to have a place to escape to, it felt even better to take a shower and wash off the train ride.  I felt rejuvenated after I got out of the shower.  I was eager to begin our class time into the Big Easy.  It was mesmerizing to see the structures of Jackson Square and too see how different they were from back home.  Even though I was excited to see Jackson Square I was even more excited to go to dinner at Pierre Maspero’s.

I tried the crab cakes and fried gator bites for an appetizer, followed by their sampler which included gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffée.  I was so satisfied with everything…well everything except the etouffée.  I know that it is a best seller their but I detested it.  I felt a little overwhelmed with the prices on the menu, although they weren’t horrible they were higher than I had expected.  Was the food delicious, absolutely (well except the etouffée), was it worth the price…meh.

I was bummed to hear we were not going on the Haunted History Tour but was relieved to hear it was rescheduled to Sunday, as this was one the things I looked most forward too. Once everyone discussed our options with the tour being cancelled, myself and classmates decided to check our Bourbon street.  We were originally going to check out Fritzel’s, a jazz club, but due to the band not starting until later we decided to check out other places.  We went to the Cat’s Meow.  I felt at place there.  It reminded me of the places I would go to back in my home town.  The people were friendly and welcoming and there was karaoke. None of us were brave enough to get up on stage to sing.  I had thought about it but with each person that went up to sing, the better each person got at singing.  I knew I couldn’t compare…so I wasn’t going to set myself up to fail.  We then ventured to the Tropical Isle where I tried their famous drink, the Hand Grenade.  I was a little nervous trying it because it is supposed to be one of the strongest drinks.  After, the Tropical Isle we decided to head to the Harras Casino.  I was anxious.  I am not a gambler, the most I do is buy dollar scratch offs.  I couldn’t bear to use more than $20.  In fact even doing $20, made me anxious and uneasy.  So it was easy for me to call it a quits after losing.  After being soaked all evening, I was beyond thrilled to get back to the hotel room and take off my wet shoes and socks.  Then to be able to take a shower and wash my hair was transformative.  Now the bed is calling, no yelling, my name and I have not been happier to go to bed.