He Said, She Said: New Orleans- Day 2

SHE SAID:
Today was one of the most amazing days I've ever had!! We went on a swamp tour of the New Orleans bayous. It was soooooo cool. Almost up there with sky diving. But I need to back up and tell you the rest of the day before we get there.

We got a little bit of a late start- solely because three people had to get ready in our room. I was fortunate because this gave me time to drink my coffee and write in my journal. Always a great way to start the day. We eventually did get moving though, and made our way back to the French Quarter. Our goal was to have coffee & beignets at Cafe du Monde and then find breakfast. Unfortunately though, when we got to the cafe, there was no seating, it was way too hot, and the take out line was really long. Plus we were starving. So, I'm sad to say, I still have not had a true beignet. Instead, we went to a restaurant and treating ourselves to bloody maries, hurricanes, and gator. Yep, that's right.... I tried alligator. And it was good!

While at breakfast, we decided to do a swamp tour. There are two different types offered- the air boat and big boat. Originally we wanted to do the big boat, solely because it was much cheaper per person. But how often are we in New Orleans and have the opportunity to go see alligators??? Needless to say, we splurged and went for the smaller boat with the HUGE fan. IT WAS SOOOOO COOL!!!! I swear, the whole time, it was unreal. It was one of those moments that you realize you are the luckiest person in the world to have that opportunity. We were cruising on the river in a fan powered boat going 60 miles per an hour. We had to wear head sets to protect us from the loud noise. And it was sooo beautiful. It looked like we were on a movie set. Again, it was unreal! And there was the alligators! They came right up to the boats. I could reach out and touch them, if I was crazy enough. The guide fed them marshmallows so that they would come out. All in all, incredible! Our guide looked like he was straight out of the movie Waterboy, but ended up being quite sophisticated.

After the tour, we had to take Sam to the airport. It was so sad to see him go. However, no matter how many times we begged and pleaded, he wouldn't stay. Thanks for coming, dude! I'm so glad we were able to have that experience together!!!

That night, Mario and I treated ourselves to another AMAZING dinner at a local restaurant. (ps- it has been brought to my attention that I describe the food we've had as amazing quite often. I'm sorry for the redundancy. It has just been so great. I have gained a new appreciation for so many different types of cuisines and as always have gained memories of great meals!)

HE SAID:

Day 2 was better than day 1. We did get a little bit of a slow start (partly because I slept in a little too much), but eventually got moving. We had planned to go to Cafe du Monde to get some beignets but that didn't go so well. The place was packed, there was no seating at all, and the line to get something to go was around the corner so we opted for something else. We walked around to see if we can find any small cafes and we did find one (can't remember the name) Sam had to be adventurous and got some fried gator tail, and I must say it was pretty good. It tasted like a cross between popcorn shrimp and fried chicken. Des had a bloody mary, Sam got a Voodoo Punch (or something like that) and I got a Hurricane.

After breakfast we all decided to go on a swamp tour. It was the coolest thing ever. We got to ride on one them swamp boats with a fan in the back. The guide took us to see some gators and called them using marshmallows (apparently the gators love them, who knew?!) The tour guide even did 360's over the mud with the boat, that was awesome. Would definitely do it again! After the tour, it was off to the airport to drop Sam off and say goodbye (hopefully he made it home OK). We went back to the Hotel and out for dinner and a night cap. Dinner was really good. I, as usual, got a burger and Des ordered a crab salad. Now, along with dinner, I ordered a Key Lime Martini, it was really good!

Now, lately, when we go on vacation anywhere, we have had the luck to find every gay bar in every city (not that there's anything wrong with that), and New Orleans was no exception. We saw the bar that was a block away from our hotel room and decided to walk in (and of course, it was a gay bar) We got to talkin' to the bartender and he was telling us all about the drag shows that they had, along with contests and everything. We had a blast, by the time we left the bar, it was like 12:30 and it was off to bed.

The beauty of New Orleans