New Orleans

Ok, pietro has already written a quick recap on everything that we have done since our last blog... ages ago, but i asked him to leave out new orleans coz I want to enspire you all to go there with my extremely heart felt report!!! so here goes:

We got on the bus in Chicago (the day before a major Ice blizzard) and it was about 26 american degrees and wind (we translate that as, "at least two pairs of trousers and 3 jumpers and you will still be bloody freezing!!!") and after 26 hours of bus we arrive at new orleans... we stepped off the bus (that had the air conditioner on so it fellt like we were still in chicago... thank you mr driver) into the sweet smell of fruit and sea mixed together in a hot and slightly damp air!!!!!! 

it was one of the most beautiful feelings I have ever had, and so unexpected in the middle of winter!!! 

Ok, so we called this guy John, who we had

 talked to the day before and was going to l

et us stay on his couch, after a while we got to his street and saw this...

we laughed and kept going... only realising after a few houses that we had passed the number that john had given us... "oh no!!!! our house is the weird one... oh well, beggers cant be chosers huh!!! so we go inside and meet john, a really great guy!!!! 

he takes us to the nearest restaurant coz we were hungry, were we meet jessica, his roomate, that later tells us that she was outside smoking when she saw these two people with huge backpacks walk down her road and thought (without john having mentioned anything to her) "im sure those are going to my house!!!!!" 

so anyway, we were staying with john and jessica, these two amazing people, and their other guest Craig (also amazing) for about one week. John, Im sorry to say was a bit sick for most of the time, so he stayed on the floor, but he also made us watch this really cool documentary about conspiracy theories (he's a bit of a fan really) called "zeitgeist" check it out on the net, its cool!!! Im convinced!!!!

Jessica took us out in her every free minute (she was very busy, finishing school and working two different jobs). I was even able to drink in the bars there, so we had lots of fun and met lots of really cool people, that were all thinking about ways to help new orleans, from an environmental approach.

Jessica also told us about this new wonder drug that is currently being pushed in america by teachers... Attarole... it is like ritalin, that is, like cocaine, but it is for students who have a lot to study, and so, to be able to study eough they have to take this drug that makes it fun to learn (it makes anything that is usually boring, like tidying up your room, or organising your stamps, interesting and fun)...it also make

s you unable to sleep and after it wore off (after about 8 hours) you fellt like shit, like a low, and ormally you would take another one to make you feel better. What it does is that it makes your brain release endorphins, but it makes you release more than you

 usually do, so after you have taken atterole you will never be as happy as you where while you were on the drug. She studies neorology, so she told us what the drug does, but she says that to keep up with studies all american students take atterole, and so the teachers increase the amount of study even more, so that if you dont take it you will have no chance!!!!!! and you dont feel so good when you dont take it!!!!

Anyway, we saw loads of amazing things in new orleans, craig was with us a lot of the time, , a guy who is travelling around america using craigs list, really great, he also playes a really small guitar, while walking around.

Im getting lost, pietro is watching futurama behind me, and I can see it in the mirror, so I keep getting distracted... ok, the beautiful things in new orleans are:

everyone is really friendly, i say this is because of after Katerina they realise that they only have each other to count on... that is a nice feeling!! Also you can be as weird as you want, and dress in the strangest ways, that is just cool, but its not like iceland where you have to be cool , the thing is that so many people lost everything in the hurricane that to live in a nearly destroyed house is lucky and no one gives a fuck about what you look like. we whent to the 9th ward (where the levvy broke and everthing was flooded) and there was nothing there, only the foundations of the houses... it was scary.

Also after Katerina people there realised that nature rules, and you can see it everywhere, the tree's are huge and their rootes brake up the pavement, but o one cares, they just build around the tree's, its so nice to see.

The french quarter was not affected by the storm, and it is amazing. After seeing the north east part of america, where all the cities have the same shops, and the same restaurants and caffes and even the

 same names on the streets it was refreshing to see all the small and originaly art galleries and cult shops around... there was also a shop called Neophobia, Dora, you would have likes it a lot, it was a cheap vintage shop, but with furniture and stuff!!!!!

Well, its time to say goodnight, pietro is falling asleep, and im gettinf tired too, we will try to write again soon, merry christmas to you all, and happy new year (we will be celebrating in the mountains of california, in the middle of nowhere.

Yvonne