The Big Easy

Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain

Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I'm one
The Animals - "House of the Rising Sun"

So after visiting New Orleans, all I can say is WOW. Just pure, unadulterated, unabashed hedonism at its finest. Shit, maybe it's not even the entire city of New Orleans. Maybe it's just the French Quarter. And within the French Quarter lies a place of ultimate debauchery: Bourbon Street. Everyone's heard of Bourbon Street. It's up there with Wall Street, Sunset Boulevard, and Pennsylvania Avenue as one of the most famous streets in America. But words cannot really do it justice. Once one steps onto Bourbon Street they are immediately bombarded with stimuli meant to cloud judgment and unshackle one from all personal inhibitions. Alcohol and sex reign supreme. This is the place for the id to go absolutely and completely wild. Not only are open beverage containers and public nudity legal, they seem to be encouraged. The bars are numerous and packed with hot, young girls in skimpy outfits eager to serve test-tube shots and dance with the patrons. And the myriad amount of police patrolling the street seem to only add to the festivities by creating an aura of safety amidst all the revelry.
Aside from Bourbon Street, there is a certain atmosphere in New Orleans unlike any place else I have been. There isn't an artificial air surrounding the place, like in Jamaica or Cancun. But the city and its citizens just have a vibe to it that force people to let-the-fuck-loose. It's truly hard to explain. From the various street performers and musicians in Jackson Square, to the bars that seem to be found every ten feet, the city seems to just put one at ease. 'If you're not going to party, get the hell out of our city!'
When one goes there, though, it is impossible to view the city without thinking of Katrina. While the tourist-y section remains vibrant, the city's poor are still struggling to cope with the realities of the disaster that hit their amazing city. All the daiquiris, cigars and lap dances in the world will not make you forget this. By all means, go to New Orleans. Now more than ever this is a city that deserves our appreciation. No other city in America can combine the Spanish, French, Caribbean and African cultures that combine to give New Orleans a uniqueness all its own. Truly a city like no other. A city full of music and a zest for for life. A city that is truly a melting pot. A city that is still a shadow of its former self. A city where a fancy oyster bar can sit merely a minute's walk from a strip club, and nothing can seem more normal. You gotta love New Orleans.