Coco Robicheaux, shrimp etouffee, Bourbon Street – bet you can’t guess where we spent the weekend? That’s right, New Orleans. The Big Easy. The Birthplace of Jazz.

Although we aren’t strangers to the Crescent City, every trip brings new adventures. With the help of a local guide, we found our way into some neighborhood treasures and had a weekend to remember. We filled our bellies on local fare at the Praline Connection on Saturday night and we’ve got to say, the catfish there ranks among some of the best we’ve ever had.

New Orleans remains a beautiful city even after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. As we strolled past its historic buildings taking in the sights, sounds and smells, we felt like we were in another country. Later Saturday night we listened to Coco Robicheaux play the blues at the Apple Barrel in the Marigny district. He sang all night for a small crowd in an even smaller venue, but filled the air with big blues tunes.

We dropped in Coop’s Place on Sunday, hoping a local’s recommendation would pay off with a tasty meal, and it did. We had gumbo, a crawfish po’boy and brought some red beans and rice back to the RV.

We met Karen out in front of Charity Hospital on Sunday evening where she provided the grim and gritty details of the city’s slow and ongoing recovery – the story the tourists that have returned to the big hotels and the French Quarter don’t see. As a nurse at the now-closed-down hospital, she worked closely with uninsured patients and never imagined she would become one herself.

Her story took us through the devastation of the hurricane and the aftermath that continues to this day. Although we can never truly know what it means to have your lives flipped upside down by roaring winds and epic floods, Karen did her best to help us understand.

A 2007 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found some alarming statistics about the post-Katrina health care status of the people of New Orleans. Compared to a national average of 18%, 1 in 4 people in Orleans Parish alone are currently without health insurance. The problem multiplies when Charity hospital which formerly provided care to this group of citizens, now sits closed behind a chain link fence and locked doors.

There is another older and less-known nickname for New Orleans – the City that Care Forgot. It was meant to refer to the carefree spirit of the city and its residents. Unfortunately, it has a new and darker meaning in the post-Katrina New Orleans.

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comments (1)

Comments

1 Posted by RobO at 07/18/08 08:11 PM

Keep up the great work guys. What you're doing is such an important first step towards desperately needed change. Blake, I enjoy your commentary on the food and music... makes me hungry for gumbo but all I can find is a bag of dill pickle chips.

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