My day began in church, and it happened to be Youth Sunday, so the young people were up front today. I was treated to a liturgical dance, the choir, a step team, and a brass ensemble (it wouldn't be New Orleans without horns, trust me). After church, we came back home and got something to eat and had a great conversation. I made it known that I wanted to find a good spot to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July, and I also wanted to see how Katrina affected the region (and continues to do so).
First of all, we saw, to our great surprise this morning, that right across from our subdivision was the remains of a Six Flags amusement park. Before Katina, this area was bustling and brimming during the summer with thousands of visitors and thrill-seekers. After Katrina, they decided not to rebuild, so the park stands abandoned. My hosts told me that all they do with that area now is come to shoot movies. So the next time you see movie characters killing zombies in an amusement park, they probably shot that scene here in New Orleans.
We drove on to St. Bernard Parish, all the way out to the bay. We caught a ferry across the river to the other side. Another friend of mine suggested that that was a great place to watch the fireworks on the 4th. I have never ridden a ferry that could hold my car at the same time. I've seen things like this in movies like "Deja Vu", but this is the first time that I have done so. I know a lot of people would consider such a thing mundane, but I found it to be fun!
Well, we finally found a great spot to watch the show, and the favor of a nice man who lives in the apartments across the bay from downtown New Orleans. I can't wait to get to that spot for the show! Then my friends took me to the Ninth Ward, where they grew up. It was a different view altogether. Now, there are houses that have been rebuilt, and one or two that somehow survived, but the flood that came through when the levee failed at Lake Ponchatrain destroyed EVERYTHING. They showed me places where the only thing that was left was the foundation of the house that stood there. They showed me an open field that once held their high school, and across from it, another open field that held an elementary school. Everywhere I looked I saw great overgrowths, and in each of those lots, there was a house that was destroyed by the flooding. It's been eight years, but the evidence of the devastation, at least in the Ninth Ward, remains telling. There were people living in these neighborhoods. But there are so many more who USED to live here. That part of the tour was pretty overwhelming.
Well, one of the main reasons I went on this vacation was to get some much needed rest! That will mainly be tomorrow, when my hosts will be working. But on Tuesday and Wednesday, I intend to visit the French Quarter, and see the places my friends have recommended that I see, and EAT the foods that have been described to me. I can't wait! So, until the next post, au revoir from New Orleans East!
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