My Wanderlust: #6: New Orleans & Mexico, Summer 2009

New Orleans is one of the coolest cities I’ve seen so far – so rich in culture and so full of things to do. My mom’s side of the family is from there, so I’ve been many times, but I think this vacation was absolutely the best I’ve had in New Orleans. However, I’ve been to New Orleans and done different things there so many times that I’m going to include all the amazing things I’ve done and seen in New Orleans every time I’ve gone, not just during this specific trip. Mexico is not too shabby of a country either. We stopped in Cozumel, which I had visited once before when I was little, and Progreso, which was completely new to me. We also went to Mississippi for a small portion of this trip, but I’m not including it in here, because we literally only spent one night at an old friend’s house in Hattiesburg, and that’s the extent of it. There’s literally nothing for me to tell about that. So I’m going to stick with what I do know.

My family started out driving from our home in Georgia to Hattiesburg to spend a night visiting with our old friends, and then we made our way from there to New Orleans, where we visited with some family there and stayed in the cutest little hotel around the corner from the French Quarter and all the other main attractions in the city. Now, most of the things to see and do in New Orleans are within walking distance from each other, but there are some cool places to shop in Baton Rouge too, which is the next city over. From our hotel, though, we were able to walk pretty much everywhere, except to our family’s house. If your feet get tired from walking so much, you can take a $1 trolley to the French Quarter from lots of different locations in the area, and Ubers are cheap, because you don't have to go far to get where you need to go, in most cases. The city is very easy to navigate as well. It is like a grid, so you can basically take a left or right anywhere, and as long as you're heading in the right direction, you'll find the street you're looking for. The French Quarter & Jackson Square are right next to each other. There you will find tons of shops that contain Mardi Gras goods, like masks, shot glasses, apparel, artwork, beads, decorations, etc. Oh, the artwork! There are artists everywhere selling the most amazing works of art, mostly on the streets. There are people playing instruments, like the saxophone, all over the streets too. You’ll find street performers everywhere. They are fun to be around and don’t bug you or harass you, but they are super fun to watch and engage with. A lot of them will spray paint their entire bodies a single color, like gold or silver, and they’ll stand perfectly still for hours on end. There are tons of horse-drawn carriages looking to give people tours of the city if you like that kind of thing. There’s no telling what you’ll come across on the streets of New Orleans.

On one of our vacations, which I think was this one, actually, my family ran into actor Anthony Anderson shooting a new tv show on a random side street while we were walking around. He had a break from shooting, and he stepped aside and was so close to us that we called out to him to see if he’d take a photo with us, and he did! He was the nicest, most genuine guy. It was the neatest, most random thing that has ever happened to me, I think. It was totally unexpected, as we didn’t even know he was shooting anything in the city at the time.

If you have children, you should take them to the New Orleans Children’s Museum on Julia Street. I went there every time I visited New Orleans as a kid, and it’s the coolest place to go when you’re little. A few things that kids can do and see there include: 1. a platform where you can use a pulley to lift yourself into the air, 2. a huge bubble contraption where you create a bubble to surround your entire body (Adults can fit in it too,) 3. a make-believe grocery store where children can shop for their own groceries, 4. a make-believe restaurant where children can be either a server or a customer, etc. Also, children and adults alike love Mardi Gras World, where you can learn about and see floats that are used in Mardi Gras parades.

Now, if you’re looking for adult fun, which most people are when they go to New Orleans, I have some different kinds of suggestions. There are casinos everywhere, including the one at the Harrah's Hotel near the French Quarter, since gambling is legal. And if you really like to party, go during Mardi Gras, which is sometime during February and/or March every year. (It’s different every year.) I’ve actually never been to Mardi Gras, but it is on my Bucket List. I’ve heard it is the craziest party you’ll ever attend. Be careful, because it is definitely not kid-friendly, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend taking your boss there. You’ll see some of the most inappropriate things in your life at Mardi Gras. There are parades, prostitutes dancing on apartment balconies and street corners, women flashing everyone for some beads, etc. The parades go all over town, but the most outrageous place to party are on Bourbon Street. Even when it's not Mardi Gras time, this street has a lot of popular bars, dance clubs, gentlemen's clubs, etc. ***Edit: I have now been to Mardi Gras. I went in January 2016 after I had already written this blog entry. If you want to read about my experience there, check out my entry "Dodger Logic #7: Mardi Gras, New Orleans, January 2016."

Probably my favorite thing about New Orleans is none other than THE FOOD. I have never tasted anything better in my life than New Orleans food. You can find home-made pralines everywhere, and there are tons of different beignet cafes, but my favorite is Café du Monde in the French Market. New Orleans has authentic Jambalaya, Gumbo, Etouffee (with shrimp or crawfish,) boils (crab or crawfish,) and Red Beans & Rice. You can find Barq's Cream Soda there, which I know my mom loves, since that kind of soda isn’t sold in Georgia. There are tons of places to get frozen drinks in the French Quarter area, like Margaritaville & to-go bars. And check this out. There is no open container law, so you can walk down the street, margarita in hand! If you’re a seafood lover, then this is the place for you. And even if you’re not, I bet you will be after feasting on the cuisine here. If you have a means to get to the West Bank, I would highly recommend a restaurant called New Orleans Food & Spirits. I have never tasted anything so incredibly delicious in my life! My uncle took me there the last time I visited him in New Orleans, which wasn’t actually during this particular vacation, and I will never go to New Orleans without eating there ever again! It was so hard to decide what to order on the menu, because everything looked incredible. If you go during dinner time, it's a bit on the pricy side, but you get enough food to last you 3 meals. If you go during lunch time, the prices are pretty normal, and you get just the right amount of food. (I'm pretty sure you can order the lunch portion for dinner too, though, but don't quote me on that.) If I remember correctly, I believe I got grouper stuffed with crawfish, along with grilled shrimp alfredo pasta on the side. It came with a lot of other things too, but I don’t exactly remember. I’m sure there were some hushpuppies involved. This was the best meal I’ve had in a long time!

From New Orleans, we boarded a cruise ship to Mexico. If you’ve never taken a cruise, you should definitely add that to your Bucket List, because there’s nothing quite like that experience. When I was little, my family took a Disney Cruise to Mexico, Key West, & The Grand Cayman Islands. That was the most incredible experience, as a kid – having a ton of Disney characters all over the ship to sign autographs and take pictures with us, having a Disney theme all around us, etc. But even if you’re not taking a Disney Cruise for the kids, cruises are so much fun. Most people don’t get sea sick, as you can barely, if at all, feel the movement of the ship, even when you’re sleeping. There’s so much to do on a cruise ship! On lots of ships, there are ziplines, huge water slides, pools, jacuzzis, bars with lots of alcohol, restaurants, snack bars, shops, casinos, karaoke rooms, shows, etc. It’s like Las Vegas on a big boat, except without the really neat hotels. For this particular cruise, we rode the Carnival Fantasy. Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico are mostly full of touristy things, like shops, artwork for sale, Marachi bands playing on the street for tips, people showing off their pet parrots for tips, etc. Be careful with the people selling things in shops and on the streets, because they are desperate for you to buy their goods. Some will actually follow you down the street to get you to buy something you have shown any interest in. With that being said, it’s really easy to haggle with them if you know what you’re doing. Most people will lower their prices significantly if you show some interest in something but tell them it’s too expensive. Now, with THAT being said, remember that you are probably a thousand times more well-off than they are, as people in Mexico tend to be very poor, so as long as it’s not an outrageous price, I recommend going ahead and paying the original price, because they really need that money. You can use USD in Cozumel & Progreso too, since they’re such touristy cities. Don’t worry about a language barrier in these tourist cities, as almost everyone speaks English. Oh, and don't buy the Cuban cigars. They are not real Cuban cigars.

Now, I think there is a certain charm about visiting touristy cities, especially when you go on a cruise, as that’s pretty much what you usually get when you go on a cruise. But I think a lot of people who enjoy traveling much prefer places that are more off the beaten path and not so touristy, so they get a chance to kind of live like the natives do. If you like this, which I think there’s a time and place for each of these, then Cozumel and Progreso are not for you. If you want something off the beaten path in Mexico, check out Chichen Itza in the Yucatan region. They are old Mayan ruins and pyramids outside of Cancún, which also gives you a chance to party after a long, adventurous day. This is on my Bucket List, as I have not been yet. Yes, that is a very touristy city too, but I wanted to mention it to all of the partiers out there.

Now, since I’ve only ever been to touristy cities in Mexico, I haven’t really ever had authentic Mexican cuisine in Mexico. However, I have had some in Georgia at authentic Mexican restaurants. Also, my boyfriend’s parents are from Mexico, so I get to eat his mom’s authentic cooking all the time. Mexicans do not eat burritos, enchiladas, or cheese dip like what you eat at “Mexican” restaurants. That’s totally Tex-Mex stuff, and it’s not near as good as the amazing, authentic Mexican food you can get elsewhere. If you do ever go to Mexico, try some authentic food at “Ma & Pop” restaurants. You will be astounded at how much better authentic Mexican food is than the stuff you get at “Mexican” restaurants here in the U.S. My absolute favorite authentic Mexican food is a dish called Molcajete. You want a huge bowl full of chicken, steak, shrimp, chorizo, onions, cactus, and the best salsa you’ve ever tasted? Great, that’s what it is. I bet you anything you’ll also be able to find tamales, which are incredible, especially when made with Salsa Verde. Most Mexican cuisine is a bit spicy, but it’s not too spicy, so even if you don’t like spicy food, give it a shot! (I happen to like mildly spicy foods a lot, so this is right up my alley.) If you ever get the chance to try Pan de Leche (Milk Bread,) DO IT! It’s the best bread ever, and it’s sweet, so it’s a real treat.

Remember, certain places in Mexico can be dangerous, as there is a lot of unrest in certain places. Always utilize the “Buddy System,” and remain vigilant. I don’t think you would come into contact with any danger in Cozumel or Progreso, since it’s really only tourists that are in those cities anyway, but especially if you go off the beaten path, you want to remain vigilant. That really goes with any time you are somewhere where you are not familiar with the area. As a tourist or traveler, you have a target on your back when you go anywhere that you’re not familiar with, or where you don’t speak the language. Stay safe on your travels, my friends!