Superbowl day! All the people who had hung out at the hostel the past few days had decided to watch it together, including me, but we hadn't decided where we were going to watch it. We had arranged a time to leave the hostel but I was an hour behind schedule so I rang up to find out where they had found as the whole city was heaving with people everywhere you went. They were in a bar called Sneaky Pete's in the French Quarter. When I arrived it was a narrow one roomed bar but with plenty of TV's and they had secured a table so all was good. Earlier in the morning Rachel had asked if she could join us and of course I said yes and would let her know. So not long after I had joined the fray and given my high fives to the great crowd from the hostel who had made my NOLA experience so memorable already (Dave, Chris, Jack, Liam, Adam, Craig, Sarah, Danielle, Patrick, Matt, Tara…I hope I haven't missed anyone out) Rachel entered the bar…followed by her mum and step-dad! Well the look on everyone's face was priceless; I was asked "Is this situation not a bit strange for you?" I couldn't care less! It was a party day and the more the merrier! Best they knew what a drunken fool I was early on haha.

At this point it is worth explaining just why the Superbowl was such a big deal for New Orleans. By all accounts New Orleans has always loved its football. But during hurricane Katrina many of the people made homeless slept in the Saints magnificent stadium the Superdome. This gave everyone in the town a special affinity for the team and ever since they have been seen as a beacon of hope for the city as a whole despite the devastation, to keep the people in the minds of American's and indeed the world after their own government let them down so tragically. For this reason the rest of the country (apart from Indianapolis who were the opponents) wanted the Saints to win as they felt they deserved something good to happen to the city. Not only that but it was the first time they had made the showpiece event in its 44 year history, they had always been considered somewhat a laughing stock in the past (and indeed were underdogs this time). The players felt the weight of destiny and the expectation of the people on their shoulders, were they to win it it would be the biggest feel good story in the history of the sport and of New Orleans. It was a privilege to be in the city and to be a part of the special atmosphere.

I now had an extra incentive to cheer them on to victory as Rachel was a Saints fan, and had indeed put a sticker of a Saints helmet on my cheek in the morning. Sarah then put Capiche on my forehead which seemed fitting, and everyone in the group was dressed up in black and gold colours for the Saints and had some ridiculous s*** painted on their faces. It was going to be a good afternoon regardless of the result. The game kicked off with the bar absolutely packed and the alcohol flowing liberally. Well the first half was a nightmare with dropped catches, interceptions and Peyton Manning (the Colts hated quarterback) running the game, it went very much with the formbook. The Saints were completely outplayed but somehow they went in only 10-6 down. Some around us, including me, began to think that the way they had got to half time without a complete pasting meant it was fate that they would win…With her apartment only two mins walk away and the anxiety and tension running high after what we had seen Rachel invited us to go and have a smoke with her, me and Jack happily obliged. Could the Saints turn it around?

Well what an hour and a half of all the emotions sport elicits; anxiety, happiness, tension, joy and ultimately jubilation. The tone was set from the kick off as the Saints made the extraordinarily bold move of an onside kick and recovered it! Then Drew Brees (or 'Breesus' as we preferred to call him), the Saints quarterback, was the star of the show throwing two touchdowns, before a game sealing 71 yard TD interception sent the bar into complete ecstatic chaos! Which included me getting elbowed in the face when attempting to hug everyone in sight, which I didn't feel at the time due to a combo of emotion and alcohol, until someone said, "Oh my god Kev do you know there is blood all over your face."

The final whistle blew, hugs and high fives were exchanged and then the whole bar exploded into the streets where the scenes of celebration were like nothing I have ever seen, or are likely to see (unless England win the World Cup, come on the boys in the Rainbow Nation!) Indeed the elated feeling of the masses is hard to describe. It was just a crush of people cheering, clapping, whooping and singing the Saints Superbowl anthem. Undoubtedly the best party I have ever been immersed in! As is the way on these occasions the hostel group got split up and there was no way we were ever going to be able to get in touch with them again. But luckily me, Rachel, Gareth, Jack and Liam managed to stay together and decided to separate ourselves from the main scrum at the bottom end of Bourbon St and sample the atmosphere by walking up towards Frenchman St.

Well I have never done so much hugging and high-fiving of random people in all my life. Car horns were blaring out, music pumping, jazz bands playing outside, people smiling and dancing down the street everywhere you looked. But as ever Jack had two provide a couple of moments. Firstly there was a piece of wood lying on the floor which he decided to kick (for some reason) and then promptly fell into the hole it was covering. Then there was a guy laid passed out limp on the floor who had clearly had a little bit too much fun with the booze (the pitfalls of a game that lasts 3 hours) and needed medical assistance but instead Jack went over to him tried to plug JackMarko.com. Unbelievable yet legendary.

We went to a bar with a rocking live band on to carry on the celebrations, where the toy green trumpet got a proper playing and took centre stage lol. Then by midnight we were all physically but mainly emotionally exhausted. So we headed back to have a smoke in the apartment. It had been amazing to be a part of such a unique day that had made many New Orleanians temporarily forget the hardships they had and continued to face.