The game reminded me of my last trip to New Orleans in January, 2007. The Philadelphia Eagles were playing the Saints on January 13th. (The Eagles lost.) The flight down from Philly was fun. Filled with lots of fans going to the game. Probably the rowdiest flight I had ever been on. Maybe the actual plane got people excited, too.
The Saints fans were so nice. Nothing like how Eagles fans treat fans from opposing teams. I met someone at Snooks' Bar on Bourbon Street who literally gave me the t-shirt off her back. (She was wearing two.) I still have that Snooks' New Orleans t-shirt.
I stayed in the Cornstalk Hotel on Royal Street in the French Quarter. I always admired this hotel's facade on previous trips so was happy to get to stay. I was, however, disappointed with the accommodations. I remember it smelled musty/mildewy. Guess those New Orleans summers didn't help in an old building like that.
The purpose of the trip was not just some R&R and fun, but also to understand what I was hearing in the media about the state of New Orleans almost 1.5 years after Katrina. What I saw not only corroborated those stories, it was also sad, sickening, angering. It made me really "get" that the government won't always be the answer in times of disaster. Even corporations seemingly shirked responsibility. For example, I saw an ADT truck partially resting (up-ended) on the roof of a house in the Lower 9th ward. What?! A year and a half later? Why did that company think this was acceptable?
Is it still there?There were so many abandoned houses - even in the "upscale" communities. It was hard for me to imagine the despair that leads people to simply walk away from home. Peering into the homes, it was easy to see black mold everywhere. My heart broke for those people. I hope the Saints victory brought back some fond memories of their former lives in the Big Easy.
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