We stopped there for the night, and it was really weird. All the hotels were full, yet the receptionists had no explanation. Just that lots of people go there for business. Anyway, we finally got a room at the Microtel, which would have been nice, but it was a smoking room. Which would not have been so bad if it smelled of smoke. But it didn’t, it reeked of some carcinogenic airfreshener. Even the floor was greasy with the stuff. It was hard to breathe, and we couldn’t open the window.

Got up early to visit Yaron’s friend at her job. She’s a strength coach for the LSU athletes, primarily football and basketball, so we got a grand tour of the football facilities, and even got to watch some hunky football players working out and lifting weights. It was hawt. Then we happened by a very busy lunch spot, figured it must be good, and had the best hushpuppies I’ve ever eaten (not like I’m an expert in huhpuppies or anything) and a delicious catfish po’boy.

We arrived in NO in the afternoon, and it all appears fairly normal. Of course it’s been almost two years since the catastrophe, but as outsiders it’s still the biggest news out of NO. Bourbon Street is back to what it probably was before, a bunch of drunken tourists and extremely loud music blaring from every club, only now the t-shirt shops are filled with fema and other Katrina-related tees. Hey, if that’s what it takes to rebuild an economy…

Now I need to get out of my deluxe and fabulous room here at the (deeeply discounted post-post-Katrina rate) W hotel and explore a bit.