You know what? New Orleans is great. This, obviously, is not news to anyone with ears and a minimum of knowledge about the US, but there it is. It’s a great city. I had never been, so I can’t compare the after to the before; all I know is that I liked NOLA very, very much. First of all, how thoughtful of the city to schedule not one, not two, but THREE different festivals on the same weekend, the very one when we were there? Thanks, guys!

Zydeco festival in NOLA  –>  click here to see a video of some music and dancing we saw

And all the little interactions we had in the city, with Valeria the tourism guide who lived in La Paz, Baja California for 5 years, who loves Oaxacan food and who wants to open a tortilleria-slash-bar in the city, with Jim the bartender and his funny wife, with the multiple people who very correctly told us to go to Frenchman’s Street for nightlife…what a lovely experience.

And to top it all of, meeting Lalo the Oaxacan artist at Jimbeaux’s bar, and discovering what a small pañuelo world it is. Thanks, New Orleans, for smothered okra with smoked sausage, for a shrimp po’boy so glorious that ten different people asked where Max bought it, for no cover jazz and late night sausage vendors, and for the dozens of other moments that made our day in the Crescent City such a joy.