Youth English Section

NEW ORLEANS: THE BIG EASY

The City That Never Sleeps… What is so extraordinary that it makes those who have visited it once want to return there? Why is it so fascinating and controversial at the same time? New Orleans keeps many secrets, but it reveals them to the curious – wrapped in its magic.

This place is famous for various reasons. The city was founded by the French, by Bienville, in 1718. It was a cornerstone in territorial arguments and witnessed many decisive battles: from 1764 to 1800 it was under the rule of Spain and then, in 1800, it was taken by France again and sold by Napoleon Bonaparte to the USA as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The emperor needed money for his wars and lost quite a vast territory almost for nothing. But the influence of France is still strongly felt there: French is spoken by most of the natives as a second language; French holidays are eagerly celebrated; the French Quarter is, probably, the best-known part of the city. (One may see buildings dated from the XVIII century there).

An interesting feature of New Orleans is that it is situated below sea level. So, when steamboats float along the Mississippi River, they seem to fly. There is an historic steamboat, Nutchez, there – one of six authentic steamboats left on the River. Some of these boats give special “concerts” of steam pipe music: a man plays them as an instrument, the effect produced is very unusual and interesting.

New Orleans is the birth-place of jazz (that’s why one of its symbols is a saxophone) which is played by a number of people both at night clubs, steamboats and on the streets, mainly in the French Quarter. A lot of people associate this place with Bourbon Street – a real paradise of nightlife, with numerous restaurants, cafйs, strip clubs, small shops with all kinds of goods, discos and much more. Of course, there are crowds of people strolling along every night, smiling and happy, tourists and citizens, – they may do whatever they want, but no crimes are committed: they just relax, rather peacefully. Maybe that’s why New Orleans is called “The City That Never Sleeps”, or “The Big Easy”. It looks as if nobody has any work or other problems to think about, as if all their life is a holiday – how can they be unhappy in such a case? By the way, this is the only city in the USA (!) where drinking outside is not punished by the law. Most cafйs serve the typical drink of the place – a tall cocktail called a Hurricane, a cold red icy slush with a fine sweet taste. The only difficulty might be caused by age: being 21 and older opens to you all doors, but younger – only some of them.

In the French Quarter (or “The Quarter”) a number of shops specialize in Voodoo stuff; there is even New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. This cult was brought from Haiti and has planted itself deeply.

There are many museums, places of interest and tours there. Thus, the Museum of Art, the Memorial Hall, the African-American Museum, the Mardi Gras Museum are worth visiting. You may go to Audubon Park and Zoological Gardens to get acquainted with more than 1800 animals (this is one of the finest Zoos in the U. S.); walk in the City Park; have a cup of coffee in Cafй du Monde, a famous coffee shop right near Jackson Square; go to Entergy Imax Theatre to see films projected on a huge screen; visit St. Louis Cathedral founded in 1849; make a Swamp or Cemeteries Tour; wander in the Aquarium of the Americas (which includes the largest and the most diverse collection of sharks and jellyfish in the USA); take a ride in a cart with several horses; or just walk along cozy streets. Anyway, you will never be bored in this wonderful city!

But one at a time. First – cemeteries. There are several of them in New Orleans. According to tradition, burying is done in above-ground tombs. The reason for this is in the floods which occur from time to time: before, under ground graves were washed by the water, and one could see coffins floating… In general, lots of legends are connected with the dead in this fairy city – sometimes you are even lost between the imaginary and the real… So, any house that looks quite innocent from the outside may turn out to be haunted; they even give special “haunted” tours, mainly in the Quarter. Maybe that’s why a famous New Orleans writer Ann Rice (whose house is in the Garden District) speaks so much about the world of the unknown as if it were real.

A very interesting museum is the Aquarium. There you may see not only fish but also birds, parrots, plants, ocean flora and fauna… An original board counts every new birth and death person in the world every second – the statistics are frightening: death prevails over birth…

If you have enough time you would enjoy a swamp tour (swamps are plentiful in Louisiana; this is something between a lake and a marsh, with beautiful trees in it – its view is just marvellous!). These tours are taken in special boats with a guide – safety is observed: alligators live there too. A quiet walk in the park will bring a good conclusion to the day. There are also small, miniature swamps and the trees of the South are very unusual: not only in that they are big, with thick trunks, but also they are covered with Spanish moss – a plant hanging down from their branches as a green-grey sponge, sometimes almost touching the ground.

But if you prefer “stone jungles”, to cozy narrow streets with small fantastic houses and splendid architecture, you will be able to find modern buildings – the business center with offices and like, but still it will be unique.

In any case, no matter what one’s tastes are, one has to feel Cajun culture, as Louisiana is in the heart of it. It comprises music (including such strange instruments as a washboard), dances, costumes, cuisine, traditions, customs, holidays… Most of the restaurants serve crawfish, a “national” dish; seafood is very popular – shrimp, catfish, etc. There are Cajun restaurants with Cajun music (which reminds one, in a way of merry Celtic or River dance tunes) played by pleasant people in Cajun dress.

The main festival of New Orleans is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) which is widely celebrated. The symbols of the festival are coloured beads (purple, green and golden) and feathers that are sold almost in every shop. As to other symbols of New Orleans (one more name – “The City That Care Forgot”), they are a saxophone, a crawfish, an alligator and a torch on Bourbon Street.

This wonderful city, definitely one of the most fascinating in the United States, could only be described in many books and discovered in many months – and every moment you find something new. Besides, it is really a pleasure to meet people there, with their open-heartedness, hospitality and friendliness. They do not seem to care about profit at all, they may even send you to their business rivals so that things are better for you. And, minute after minute, you yourself forget that there is another, mercantile world, while merging in the fairy tale of this wonderful city – with many names, but one warm atmosphere and one great lively soul…

By Oksana Danchevskaya