I said a teary goodbye to Chicago and spent the next 18 hours in a train next to Steven, a young bloke who is planning to cycle the length of the Mississippi River from mouth to source. What an adventure! I would have been more talkative but to be honest my head was nodding even before I'd got off the public transit to get to the station. I slept for a solid 12 hours, which is unheard of for a seat on a train and things were all better.

When I arrived, New Orleans was hot. I had to walk my bags just under a mile to the Canal Street streetcar and in my daze I went the wrong way! I was allowed to double back for free and got to India House, where they were having a Memorial Day party. I set about eating burgers and drinking Hurricanes before lots of people went to Frenchman St and then Bourbon St to continue the party.

There was a strange episode when I returned to my room involving a Chinese guy randomly murmuring something that included "Michael Jackson" and another guy screaming and obviously freaked out by the whole thing. Yet another opportunity for my iPod and headphones to help me sleep...

I woke up at 12:30pm on 31st. With most of the day gone I decided to spend the rest of it in the pool, given that it was also 95 degrees. Lots of volleyball and lounging around was followed by beer and basketball (1st game in the finals). Then it was off to Bourbon St yet again with Aussies Richard and Nick, and Canadian Erin.

On June 1st (June! I fly home in June!) I decided I'd best see at least something of New Orleans by daytime. Despite it being 100 degrees on the nose I wandered the French Quarter and took photos, caught the streetcar where possible and visited the heavily destroyed Louis Armstrong park, presumably left in Hurricane Katrina's wake. It was sad to see, but good to see people there repairing gardens. New Orleans is well on its way back to its feet.

I returned home for the obligatory pool dip with beers and ice hockey on tv. We then hit Frenchman Street for some live music and we as a group of 13 were not disappointed! There was jazz in three bars we went to, jazz being played on a street corner with dozens of people dancing in the street, and on our way back to Canal Street we even had our own drummer to help us dance along! I had a great night and it seemed everyone else did too. This is what New Orleans is all about!

Finally, on the 2nd, I decided (after a couple of hours cooling in the pool) to do some more targeted touristy things. First up, gumbo, done. Gumbo is a spicy soup/stew dish that can be served with a variety of different meats. Next, Katrina museum. Not done. It was closed by the time I got there. Next up, beignets, done. These are doughnut type of pastries with a mountain of icing sugar supplied. Fun to eat in the wind as you end up looking like a snowman. Lastly, the Garden District cemetery. Not done. Also closed. So much for my precision tourism...

Surprisingly I didn't go out on my last night as I had a train to catch at 7am. My track record of waking up in New Orleans is bad so there was a chance I'd miss it, but I didn't, since I'm writing this blog from the train right now. Result!