Arrival:

Arrival:

Finally, after 17 hours of being on the train we make it to the city of New Orleans. I think I was so ready to get off the train that I didn’t remember to look around. Once I realized I was close, I looked outside to see tons of water. One of the locals said it had been raining for the days before we came. When getting closer to the station, there was many tents and forts built under the bridge and over passes. Some homeless people also found higher up cement blocks to lay on with their suit case or bag as a pillow and blanket. I have noticed that most people have dogs as companions as well. Once we got our bags at the station, my roommates, Hannah and Karissa, caught an Uber to the hotel. I asked the uber driver if he was a local to tell us where some of the best, grandmother cooking places to eat are. He suggested Mothers and Park Way bakery for the best jumbo and roast beef po boys in town. We arrived at Spring Hill Marriot on St Joseph St where it caught my eye there was local Cub fans across the street, who hung the Cubs flags and champion fan over their balcony. 

Arriving to room 230, we opened the door to our two bed and couch living area. We didn’t have much time to shower and get ready to be out the door for our first adventure in the city. At 5pm, we all met down stairs in the lobby to take the journey to the local transportation of what locals call a street car, I would call a trolley.

The trolley ride was like taking the city link bus at home, where you would pull the string down on the stop you where wanting to get off on. We got off on Toulouse and began our journey as a class to see the city. After a about a block we came across the French quarters and could see the Cathodal across the Jackson Square.

We continued our journey to head to dinner to the Original Pierre Maspero’s. This was a cute little bar and dining place. The first thing I noticed was the high mirrors and at the bar, they soaked olive mix in a jar of vodka for their original bloody Mary’s. We sat down as a class to enjoy our dinner after the overly long train ride. I enjoyed a plate of shrimp Alfredo and cup of jumbayla soup. I liked that how our table wanted to taste each other’s so I also got to taste: crab cakes and a veggie po boy as well. For dessert we had bread pudding that was melt in your mouth amazing. It was covered in caramel and topped with ice cream and powdered sugar. Every bite you could see the steam coming off. 

We all left over full but needed to get to our Ghost tour. We had a very nice young named Brittney who gave us many tales of New Orleans admiral people. One of the stories I enjoyed was about Jean Lafitte that was pirate in New Orleans.

So far this on this journey I continue to learn with every step. All the locals I have come into contact with have been the nicest people, almost overly nice. When we got into our Uber, he was very friendly to help us. We also ran into a lady on one of our train stops who had noticed we were taking a break. As she proceed to talk about how cold it was and Donielle and I looked at her like she didn’t even know the half of what cold was- we told her back home it was snowing and in single digits, I knew she could image how we could live in such a cold place with her thinking 50 degrees was freezing. Coming to the hotel the front desk was so nice, asked how our trip was and welcomed us and then when we left for the night the made sure they said good bye. Every time we come in or how they will say, “Welcome back, how was your day.” It’s just amazing me the difference from going to other places. I guess that is where the southern hospitally has come from. It was a little cold on our ghost tour and she wasn’t the scariest teller but it was still education non the least. I was worried about not making friends or getting along with people. Everyone has different personalities and some are very clicky, but I’m glad I found a group who didn’t care about clicks and was open to making new friends. I have also realized I dislike very much taking the street car. Not so much anything about the street car, but the pickup and drop off locals are out of the way of a lot of areas we want to go, so it is easier for me to just uber. I don’t have much patience when it comes to looking for something and getting lost. I was very tired coming off the train and the walk of the ghost tour and I came back to the hotel and changed my clothes and was out like a light. Didn’t hear my room mates come back or anything. They also said I asked them to shut the window when I was sleeping, which I thought was funny because I forgot to warn them I talk in my sleep. I hope they got amusement from it as well. Tomorrow is another day...