Mardi Gras in New Orleans

20-22 Feb 2009 (Fri-Sun): OIPS New Orleans Trip

The Office of International Programs & Services organized a New Orleans trip for all sponsored students. I've thought about going to N.O. before this and when I received the email about this trip, I looked at my calendar...saw that I have midterms after that weekend...then thought...nahh...I don't care...I'm definitely in for this. Plus...itz gonna be Mardi Gras weekend & all we have to pay is $30 for everthing...meals, transportation & accomodation...that's juz too good to resist...hehe!! :p

From UAH to New Orleans

On Friday afternoon, 15 of us departed to N.O. in a van & a car. The journey was about 8 hours & I was 'supposed' to study Forensic Accounting along the journey. I had coffee to keep me awake but the book was doin' such a 'great' job putting me to sleep. Uyanga was laughing at me when the thick book fell off my lap and landed loud on the floor....ooopss!! Well...I've read through those 9 chapters so it was actually my 2nd time reading through...so I'm not lazy okay:p We had dinner at McCalister and finally arrived Ramada Inn hotel around 10pm.

Dinner at McCalister

The next morning, we reached French Quarter around 10am and our first stop was Cafe Du Monde. This cafe is pretty famous and it was packed with customers when we got there. We had to queue for about 20min juz to get a takeout. They are known for beignets & coffee and that’s what I got. We then watched some street performers doin’ some stunts while enjoying our yummylicious b’fast. Uyanga & I spent the day walking around French Quarter and of course took lotsa pics...as usual...haha!! We also spent some time chillin’ & relaxing at the river bank along Mississippi River. There were parades goin’ on all day and it was pretty interesting coz people will throw beads from the floats and people like us who were watching the parade along the streets will try to grab as many as we can. That was pretty fun! After dinner, we ‘accidentally’ got on the street with all the bars and gosh...the whole street was like a huge bar filled with people and we could hardly move. It was kinda scary but ‘interesting’ to see people getting drunk and some ‘flashing’ on the streets to get beads...hehe! Well...at least I got to see some Mardi Gras craziness.

That’s all for our N.O. Mardi Gras trip...pretty short but interesting. Glad that OIPS gave all of us sponsored students the chance to travel together before we leave in May.

Walking around French Quater

Chillin' and 'posing' along Mississippi River

First Parade...with our goodies...hehe!! :)

2nd Parade: Endymion

Leaving New Orleans...

Stopped by beautiful Gulf Port along the way back

Mexican food for lunch