New Orleans/Chazfest

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well my prediction of continual and persistent imbibement in New Orleans was completely correct. I have had the most amazing luck so far – Bob's friend Chris totally sorted me out and I had the most wonderful time in New Orleans. I LOVE THIS CITY!!!! I got there 3 hours late, at around 6pm, and Chris picked me from the station and took me back to his amazing house in the Garden District. Later that night I met him down a little street called Pirates Alley. I was highly excited to find out that the cafe/absinthe house there has its own pirates club, and even does pirate weddings. When I saw that it was the first time I have ever had the pang to get married. But luckily it passed quite quickly.

From here we headed onto another absinthe house called Pravda, as I had forgotten to bring out my passport and they actually ID-ed me in Pirates Alley and then wouldn't serve me. Unbelievable. Real pirates would never have stood for it. After Pravda we headed elsewhere in the Fench Quarter to a great little bar on Frenchman where there was a live jazz jam. Here I met Washboard Chaz (complete with washboard round his neck) and another local favourite, Uncle Lionel. Chris and I sat around at the bar sinking Jack Daniels' and lapping up the great music.

The next day we left the house around 1pm on bikes, and Chris gave me a tour of New Orleans by bike. It was amazing. Then we tracked down Chazfest, a small budget alternative to the more famous Jazzfest, organised by no other than Washboard Chaz. It was in a collective of gardens off a street in the Bywater district, and it was pure bliss. I felt as if I had died and gone to heaven. It was really lowkey, amazing jazz and blues musicians playing, it had the air of an english country fayre/Mayday thing going on, and the homemade margaritas and sangria stalls were dishing up the goods brilliantly. Washboard Chaz got up and jammed with each band, and everyone was having a merry hoedown. One band sticks out for being utterly brilliant – Loose Marbles. Chris had by this time gone back to work at his refined cocktail bar, and I realised I needed to leave Chazfest before it got dark so as to reduce the chance of getting my bike stuck in tramlines or hitting a pedestrian at high speed. Amazingly I was drunk again, and how I rode the bike without colliding with anything, and also wound my way through the streets of the city to find his bar, I shall never know.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I found it, and after Chris's shift finished we hit another jazz gig and lo and behold, it was Uncle Lionel playing. It was such a brilliant day/night and to top it off we managed to bribe a jazz dude to give us and the bikes a lift home in the back of his van. Well Chris did – I just stood around looking drunk.

The bus journey down to Miami was less interesting and more tedious than the previous trips this week, but I am here now and loitering in Starbucks whilst I wait to check into my hostel. The woman at reception told me to take my woolly cardigan off as just looking at me made her feel hot. I have been wearing the same clothes for the last 3 days though so am reluctant to take anything off without being able to shower as I know I have collected a unique layer of scents from the last few days. She doesn't realise how merciful I was being by keeping it on. I am still reeling from such a huge dose of fun in Memphis/New Orleans. Sometimes you just take a chance and it all comes off, perfectly in every sense. And all I have to do now is hang around til tomorrow AM to ge my flight to Jamaica. I think I can do that....