Day 3: New Orleans

So it's my final full day here in New Orleans.

Woke up really dazed, and my phone had 0% battery.

Ugh I drank wayyyy too much last night, and we did shotgun beers too which I've never done, talk about messay!

I also broke my iPhone charger ugh! So now I have to plug it into my computer to charge it. This is so annoying. But I'm just gonna buy one in Miami, I didn't get a chance to today.

Caitlin gave me some of her American style hash brown and bacon and egg sandwich, that was my breakfast. It had a lot of ketchup though. Hahaha. We said bye to the Australians (I'm gonna miss them, they cute doe), oh well we still have Michael here ;) Mmmm... Hahahaha, shh.

This new guy from Holland asked us where we were from and thought we were a couple.

Oh how ironic.

Dat blonde hair doe.

Yeah ok.

So we left the hostel at about 12PM, and went to the Garden District. You can really tell the income disparity when you come here. Caitlin and I were discussing the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina and how the entire city was flooded so high people were left on their balconies and roof tops aiming to survive. It's hard to believe walking around that this happened. Caitlin told me that it was an inherent racial problem, which to be honest is so true and I can definitely see that happening.  The houses here are decadent, grand, and very "white", so to say.

Before we entered the Lafayette Cemetery I asked Caitlin,

"Is it ok to have my SLR camera out here?"

I had previously kept in zipped in my bag because I felt it dangerous and unsafe to have it exposed around my neck on the street.

She assured me it was ok, because this area was touristy and white.

I said it was French Vanilla. She chuckled.

Anyway so yeah, we went to the cemetery. The bodies actually aren't buried underground here because the city is below sea level and there's been cases where the sewerage and the water and the flooding would actually bring bodies and coffins up to the surface. How scary. The tombstones we saw were very old. A lot of them were war veterans. Furthermore, there were many stones which had about 15 people inside them. That's scary! The conditions of the tombstones were pretty bad. Some were even open. There was one where I put my camera in to try to get a photo and Caitlin scared me by pushing me on my shoulders. That was a frightening experience. Hahahaha.

We left the cemetery and continued down towards Magazine Street. At this time the weather was much warmer than yesterday, it was sunny and I actually wasn't shivering! Yay. Magazine Street was full of antique stores and traditional shops. We walked aimlessly with Caitlin telling me she wanted to get a tattoo of a fleur de lis.

No.

I told her how I wanted to get a crown tattoo with embellishments of the fleur de lis on my back, but that wasn't what made me stop her. The fleur de lis is the symbol of New Orleans.

"Is this your first time in New Orleans?" I asked her.

"Yes", she replied.

"Ok no, you are NOT getting that tattooed. You are going to regret it."

I swear I'm such a good influence sometimes!

We didn't buy anything except Caitlin who bought one $20 shirt. Well lunch doesn't really count because we HAD to eat that, right? We went to a bagel house. I'm normally so used to the blueberry bagels which are a must-have when I meet p with my friend Michelle (who I dearly miss so much) back at uni, filled with cream cheese, but these bagels were off the chain. Yes they had blueberry, but I was venturing for something different. It was about 3PM and I was hungry. I had a bagel breakfast sandwich which cost me $4.65. You could choose whatever bagel you wanted (from Plain, Garlic, Salt, Salt and Pepper, Honey and Wholemeal), I chose sesame. Inside it you had egg, and you could choose between sausage, bacon or ham (I chose sausage), and which cheese you wanted (American, Cheddar, Swiss or something else) I chose Cheddar. To be honest, I don't know what the fuck is the different between cheeses. Even back home at Subway, what the fuck is the difference! Anyway, it was more like a mini burger but omg it was delish! I'd say a cross between the sesame seed buns you get at the Asian bakeries back at Sydney, mixed with a sausage and egg mcmuffin from McDonalds, mixed with a burger... It was certainly yummy, and I actually could not finish it. But I did. But for $4 something, it was definitely good! Caitlin got a full on bagel sandwich and a soda (soft drink). She had free refills and we were just talking about the obesity problems in the country, ha. Well I just won't eat dinner tonight, I think I've fit in all my macros right? Protein from the sausage, a shit load of egg, and carbs from the bread and potato? Hmm.. I feel okay?

We waited for the bus and went back to Canal Street and went back to the hostel because we are so tired. I'm sitting in front of the heater charging my laptop and my phone simultaneously checking out this delicious blonde guy with amazing arms in front of the heater.

Michael hasn't come back yet.

Where you at boo?

I also decided to keep an update of my budget and make sure I calculate how much I've been spending per day, so from now on I'm going to add it to the end of my blog posts.

So... my budget is approximately $80 a day, including hostels.

Day 1: $38 for the rides to and from the airport. $55 for my 3 nights accommodation.

= $93.

Day 2: $10 bus ticket, $1 bread, $5.50 cafe du monde, $82 phone, $10 cab, $12 chemist $6 club.

= approximately $120. UGH. Fuck you phone!

Day 3: $4.65 lunch, $2 water, that's it. Hahaha.

= $6.65

So my average for the past 3 days is..  $73. Which is okay, but how am I gonna do my hair and buy clothes? UGH! Fuck I'm mad!

Ok well at least tomorrow shouldn't be that bad. It should only be $25 for my checked baggage, and $115 for my accommodation. Gotta start my budgeting so bad, but hey from this point in there's no more setting up phones or all that shit. It'll just be cheap food, one or two meals a day just to survive and take my acne medication. Lol.

It's gonna be so sad to say goodbye to Caitlin though, I'm so glad I made a friend here. When you think about it everyone is in the same position as me and just wants to make friends and mingle, even though there are a few cliques here.

My bus leaves at 12:15, I have to be at the airport by 1:45, my flight is at 3:00, and I reach Miami at around 5:30. Can't wait to meet new people in Miami, I hope it's safe and people are nice and courteous just as they've been in this beautiful city.

New Orleans is cultural, unique and I definitely would not call it a stereotypically Southern city. It's very American in it's own distinct and varied way. Something however I have to say I didn't like about New Orleans is constantly feeling unsafe in the city. Having to briskly walk, always make sure I had my stuff concealed. People make out that the USA is safer than Europe but I honestly felt safer in Europe than I did here.

But I definitely didn't let that ruin my trip thus far. And I'm so excited for what the rest of the trip has for me.

What scares me the most is that it's only been 3 days and I miss home and my family so much, to be honest. I think I'm really pushing it so far for 5 weeks, with 3 of them me being alone. I'm starting to be scared for myself, and really understand where my parents are coming from.

The other night I cried because I just thought, wow I've really fucked up this time. I really had to push it this far that I literally ran away halfway across the world to prove a point. I know I've made friends but I just feel so alone and I just feel it embellishes my own loneliness in real life. I don't like it. I've gotta make a change with myself when I'm back in Australia and make myself more likeable. I've gotta stop being a bitch and a cunt, and I have to appreciate the people that care about me, including my parents. I have to stop betraying their trust and realise that they simply just care about me. I can't run around like a rampant child.

Anyway that's my rant done for the night. Update tomorrow.