French
Quarter
The French Quarter (or Vieux Carr, as it's sometimes called) was the
city's original focal point and remains its chief tourist draw. It houses
nearly all New Orleans' signature tourist icons, and Bourbon Street
alone, with its stormy nightlife and naughty sex shows, defines the
city's bawdy character. Whether you're a teetotaler or a dipso, a walking
tour of the Quarter is a must.
What surprises most newcomers is that despite the name, the Quarter
is noted for its Spanish, not French, architecture. With the exception
of the Old Ursuline Convent - the oldest building in New Orleans, dating
from 1745 - the district's French-designed buildings were destroyed
by the tremendous fires of 1788 and 1794. The distinctly Spanish character
that emerged in the rebuilt city is seen today in its broad window openings,
crowned by graceful arches, and handsome fan-shaped transoms. Lacy ironwork
railings on galleries overhanging the street are particularly emblematic.
Royal Street, the 'Main Street' of the French Quarter, is the postcard
image of the neighborhood: its cast-iron galleries and Greek Revival
buildings make camera shutters click like locusts in heat. Jackson Square
remains the central and most important starting point for visitors to
the Quarter, with its nebulous assortment of street musicians, artists,
fortune tellers and mimes doing their shtick on the sidewalk. On adjacent
Chartres St, two notable history museums are the Cabildo and the Presbytre,
the former emphasizing the external impact of New Orleans, the latter
concentrating on its internal history.
Even if you wouldn't give a nickel to see where the coins used to come
from, the Old US Mint's Mardi Gras Museum exhibits on New Orleans Carnival
history should get your attention. Upstairs, the memorabilia comprising
the Mint's New Orleans Jazz Exhibit imparts a clear sense of how jazz
evolved - from its roots in the rhythms brought by African slaves to
recent Jazz Fest performances.
Just inside the entrance to St Louis Cemetery No 1 sits the most visited
gravesite in all of New Orleans, the purported resting place of voodoo
queen Marie Laveau; you'll recognize it as the unkempt tomb covered
with the chalkmarked X's of devotees. If you want the city's history
in a nutshell, the National Park Service's free 'History of New Orleans'
tour departs from their visitor center on N Peters St.
Garden District
Like the French Quarter, this is a National Historic District, where
architectural preservation ordinances prevent would-be developers from
fiddling with its period character. The free guided National Park Service
'Faubourg Promenade' provides an overview of the Garden District, but
it's more fun to explore it on your own - especially since it's an ideal
zone for bicycling.
Aside from the eerie splendor of Spanish moss and the tranquil allure
of the Georgian manors, other key attractions of the district are the
Audubon Zoological Gardens, one of the country's richest collections
of exotic wildlife; Tulane University, with repositories specializing
in African-American history and New Orleans' jazz legacy; and Lafayette
Cemetery No 1, where above-ground tombs let you ponder up close what
makes Anne Rice's vampire novels seem so perfectly suited to their setting.
The Garden District is 1.5 miles (2.5km) southwest of the French Quarter;
the St Charles Ave Streetcar Line cuts right through its northern half.
Voodoo Spiritual Temple
One meaning assigned to voodoo, 'being in a trance,' is in part derived
from the lack of proper burial for slaves, which was believed to result
in restless souls or the walking dead, also called zombies or plat-eyes.
In New Orleans, the spirits of deceased ancestors are carefully protected
through common rituals such as jazz funerals, featuring brassy bands
and a 'second line' of paraders in top hats and umbrellas.
At the Voodoo Spiritual Temple on N Rampart St in the French Quarter,
Priestess Miriam Chamani primarily practices spiritual healing rituals
based on Afrocentric American Voodooism. Her temple promotes neither
white nor black magic, but instead focuses on 'true spiritual power
for friendly people.' She continues a tradition established by her New
Orleans ancestors, Dr John (the voodoo practitioner from the 1820s,
not the contemporary musician), Marie Laveau and Leafy Anderson. Drop
by the small storefront temple to chat, pick up books on the occult
or check out the small collection of art and artifacts from around the
world.
Also in the French Quarter, look for the Historic Voodoo Museum on Dumaine
St. Half market, half museum, it's a one-stop shop for all you need
to get your mojo risin' and keep it there. Whether it's gris-gris you're
needing for grandma's arthritis or a penis doll to stop your man from
running around on you, this is your place. The museum is only worth
visiting when it's uncrowded and a guide is available to talk about
the potions, rituals and people, since the exhibits are not self explanatory.
Aquarium of the Americas
New Orleans voters should be congratulated for funding the Aquarium
of the Americas, operated by the Audubon Institute. Here you can go
eye-to-eye with giant tropical creatures from the Amazon basin, see
spotted moray eels and hawksbill turtles in a walk-through Caribbean
reef tube or watch incredible specimens of Gulf species through 14ft
(4m) high windows. Mr Bill, a 40 year old sawfish, even shares his tank
with an oil platform (that doesn't leak). Of course, the Mississippi
River and Delta wetlands environments are displayed, but the 'Americas'
apparently extend to the farthest reaches of the Arctic.
The air-conditioned aquarium is at the foot of Canal St, near Woldenberg
Park and next to the Canal St Ferry. Use the Riverfront streetcar if
you don't want to walk from the French Quarter. The Zoo Cruise also
docks here, and you can get a variety of combination tickets to both
the Audubon Zoo and the aquarium, including the price of the cruise. |
