Flip Flops on the Levy

I went to New Orleans, and no, it wasn't Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest.

I felt like I needed to get out of town before I went all postal... or is that "cubicle"? Anyway, I felt like I was going crazy, and a little vacation with lots of alcohol might help.

The first thing we did on Saturday morning was head uptown.  We met up with a friend for an early lunch at a cute little BBQ on Oak Street.

While the name wasn't really that appetizing, it was a nice place.

My friend suggested we walk on the levy on the way back if we had time.

There are a few things she must have forgotten about me:

1. I live in Colorado, so 80 degrees with 80% humidity is freaking hot.
2. I could get lost in my own bedroom.
3. I never went uptown when I lived here.  I had no idea how far it was to get back.

It might also be worth noting that I didn't look at a map.

It started out nice.

We walked along the levy, looked at the river.

It really was pretty.  Funny that I had never been here before.

I was happy for the breeze coming off the river because I could feel myself getting sweaty.  Oh, wait.  A woman doesn't sweat.  She glows.  So, I was happy for the breeze coming off the river because I was getting all "glowy".  I imagine that if it weren't for the wind, my face would have looked like it had been lacquered.

After a while, Chris said, "How far is it?  I think we're moving away from the streetcar."

I had no idea because I have NO. SENSE. OF. DIRECTION.  However, I figured you can't be too lost if you can see the river... I mean, it flows right by just about everything.  "Well," I said, "We can turn at Audubon Park."

I knew where Audubon Park was in theory.  We had passed an entrance on the way up to Oak Street.  When we were riding the street car.  And not walking.  And on the other side.

We reached a nice little spot with about nine-hundred-million-bazillion people laying on the grass above the river, making BBQ, and playing soccer.  It seemed hopeful.

We kept walking.

There was  a path that looked like it was headed roughly towards the direction of the streetcars, but when we got close, there was a gate.  It looked like they wanted to charge money.

"Why is it gated?" Chris said.

Ummm...

"Ummm..." I said.  I had no idea until I caught a flash of pink out of the corner of my eye.  "The zoo!" I said, "That's right, there's a zoo here!"  I could see flamingos.

Chris didn't say anything.

"We should be able to go around the zoo, and then get back over..."  Over to what I wasn't 100% sure, but at least we would find a streetcar or major street.  Probably.

There was a turn off, after the zoo.  There were even trees.

Once we got off the levy, the breeze couldn't get to us anymore.  And it was hot.  I was thirsty.  I was wearing flip flops.  And there were probably alligators or nutria or something.

There was a tree covered in gigantic white birds.  I stopped to watch, zooming in with my camera.  Two of them seemed to be fighting.  Oh, wait.  They were having sex.  No, this isn't the picture of them, what are you, some kind of bird sex voyeur?

After an eternity, we came to St. Charles, and the streetcar, coming out by Loyola University.  The place was crawling with children.

"SNOWBALLS!" I said.  More than ANYTHING I HAD TO HAVE ONE.  With condensed milk.  We got in line.

As we stood waiting for frozen deliciousness, a streetcar went by across the street and packed with people.  Then another.  When the third one went by and we'd been there about 20 minutes, I said, "Um, maybe we should just leave.  The line hasn't moved yet."

By then, I was all out of waiting.  There was a huge line at the streetcar stop, and it was in the sun.

So we decided to walk.  Of course.  Because we hadn't just been walking all day.

We did get back to my friend's house eventually.  We had to take showers and drink gallons of water.  My feet were so dirty that I looked homeless.

After the shower, I realized that it wasn't just dirt. My pasty self was burnt to a crisp.

Somehow, it was after 5PM before we ever got around to drinking.  When did I become so bad at being a drunk?

I did get a nice burn line, though.

P.S. This photo was requested by hoodyhoo.  I don't know WHY she wanted the picture of birds having sex, but here you go: