Back in the 70's, New Orleans was dubbed the "Big Easy" because of its easy going style and laid back manner.  Yet, one look at New Orleans, and it makes you wonder !  Yes, it is kinda easy going, if you know your way around and don't get easily confused by the one way streets system, but one thing New Orleans really is .... it is definintely unique!

From its rich roots that reach back to Africa, France, Spain and Canada to its unique blend of diverse neighborhoods and deep religious culture, New Orleans rides high on the 'must experience' list. 

To exclaim that New Orleans is haunted is a serious misnomer -- it's not merely haunted, it is very much alive -- the very air itself is filled with energy. Orbs beings are so prevalent, they can be photographed in daylight. The indigenous energies in New Orleans are powerfully strong by themselves, but coupled with that of the many visitors and tourists who come to the Crescent City, the consciousness level is exciting and invigorating -- even without the cafe au lait!

There are numerous Haunted Walking Tours available around the French Quarter. We chose the 7 pm tour that met outside of Rev. Zombie's VooDoo Shop on St. Peter Street. Our guide, Midian Von Thorne, was delightfully informative and explained a number of haunted legends -- some old, some not so old! Here are Parts One and Two of our video reports:

New Orleans has so much to offer, we have a second trip planned for April 2008.

Evidence of Hurricane Katrina still exists with many housing developments laying fallow in disrepair, yet, new ones have sprung up and homes are being refurbished. 

The heart of New Orleans still beats its syncopated rhythym loud and clear. 

The  French Quarter remained virtually unharmed, sustaining the least amount of damage from the storm and maintains its interesting mystique with quaint residences, hotels, shops, restaurants and cafes.

St. Louis Cathedral is equally as beautiful from this rear view (right) as from the front view (below).

A massive church with painstakingly well kept grounds surrounding it, sets alongside what is believed to be one of the most dangerous and haunted streets in New Orleans ... Pirate's Alley.

VooDoo, VouDun ... Original

New Orleans is well known for its staunch religious foundation that successfully mingles Christianity with tribal beliefs, known today as VooDoo, a respected religion in its own right.  African slaves who were forced to discount their own religious faith and accept Christianity soon discovered a closely related link between the two - the honoring of spirits of the dead. Voodoo had the Orisha, Christianity had the Saints. Another relation was the belief in one God, the omnipotent and all knowing Supreme Being. VooDoo is closely related to Santeria, also an offshoot of the Christian faith based on  worship of the Saints.  Santeria became more popular in the islands than on the mainland.

It is said that about 15% of the population of New Orleans practices VooDoo, although this figure is more than likely on the low side.  Modern VooDoo has developed  numerous new pathways  in several directions.  There are VooDoo churches,  High Priests/Priestesses and Reverands, Spiritualist Practitioners and HooDoos who integrate superstition, wicca, and the occult with traditional VooDoo practice.  Many are drawn to VooDoo to seek out their ancestral roots and reach a high level of consciousness.

VooDoo is a very powerful practice that encompasses a gravitational relationship between (wo)man and God that involves a natural medicine which in effect protects the practitioner from spiritual, emotional and physical harm.  It is a deep-seated system of faith and belief that uses every element of nature in paying homage to the Divine and Its Spirit  Guides -- animal, plant, tree, vegetable, fruit.  VooDoo offers its practitioners sense of freedom, identity and empowerment that is often unheard of in modern day religion.

New Orleans Cemeteries --- Cities of the Dead

Another unique feature of New Orleans is their above ground burial practices.  New Orleans is actually below sea level, a little known fact that  became painfully apparent after Hurricane Katrina.  The high water table over the years made it difficult to bury the dead underground and oftentimes those coffins buried six feet under where pushed back up to the surface causing  both a gruesome sight and health hazard.  Between the water table and the influence of the Spanish and French settlers, the tradition of above ground vaulted burial was created.

In 1789, St.  Louis Cemetery No. 1 opened and was said to have been modeled after Paris's famous Pere-Lachaise cemetery.  Although the two cemeteries strongly resemble  each other, Pere-Lachaise didn't open until 1804. and the visible structures are monuments.  In New Orleans, they are the actual tomb. These above ground tombs act as natural slow acting crematoriums in the sub-tropical  heat, hastening the decomposition process and  effectively maintaining a higher sanitary condition.

Video Report on St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

While Pere-Lachaise may have its interesting array of the famous departed (Frederic Chopin, Jim Morrison, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde), St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is well known as the final resting place for VooDoo Queen, Marie Laveau and the filming of 1969's classic "Easy Rider" and 1987's "Angel Heart."

Marie Laveau is the most famous VooDoo Queen of old New Orleans. A hairdresser by trade, it was said that she became highly respected within society and the use of her knowledge became an element of her control.

It is believed that she now rests in the Glapion family crypt in St. Louis Cemetery, No. 1. Whether her remains lie in wait there or not, many of her followers visit this grave site, leaving gifts and making prayer requests (represented by numerous "X's") for her help.

New Orleans closes its cemeteries at 3 pm, although when we visited St. Louis No. 1 (located at the intersection of Basin and St. Louis Streets) the maintenance crew didn't get there til 4:20 or so. 

They do a walk through of each cemetery to make sure no one gets locked in and perform routine maintenance, empty trash and keep the grounds well maintained. 

Even with all this attention, one does not want to visit these "Cities of the Dead" at night, or alone for that matter.  The narrow walkways and tall entombments make perfect hiding places for n'er-do-wells.

You can take one of many walking tours through New Orlean's famous cemeteries with well-informed tour guides who explain the colorful history of these sacred spaces. Tours are inexpensive, informative and ... safe.

Dolphyn
Wisdom

 

New Orleans has a language all its own. While you're in New Orleans, you will want to know what the locals are talking about ! Listed here are some words and phrases that New Orleanians use that
are unique to the Big Easy.

Alligator Pear

What the locals call an avocado.

Andouille - "An Doo E"

This is a traditional New Orleans style, spicy sausage. Usually, andouille is used to make jambalaya, red beans and rice and other New Orleans dishes.

Banquette - "Ban Ket"

In New Orleans, this means, simply, a sidewalk.

Beads

Beads refer to plastic necklaces that are thrown from floats and balconies during Carnival. Plastic beads become a kind of currency during Mardi Gras. People trade and collect beads. People also are known to do some rather outrageous things to acquire beads during Mardi Gras.

Beignet - "Ben Yeah"

These are French style donuts that are drowned in powdered sugar. Usually, beignets are served with cafe au lait. Stop by Cafe Du Monde for the cities best coffee and beignets.

Big Easy

This is an euphemism for New Orleans, like the "Crescent City," that is attributed to Betty Guillaud, a gossip columnist for the Times Picayune, in the '70s as a term of endearment and an answer to the then I Love New York City hype. If it's the "Big Apple" then New Orleans is the "Big Easy," where everything is slower, simpler and easy-going.

Cafe au Lait - "Ca Fay - Oh - Lay"

This is New Orleans traditional coffee. Cafe au Lait is made from coffee and chickory mixed with boiled milk. Cafe au Lait is certain to give you a start for the new day. Its just not a trip to New Orleans without a visit to Cafe du Monde.

Cajun - "Kay Jen"

There are three meanings for this word. The first refers to the French Acadians who settled into the bayous of Louisiana from Novia Scotia in the 1700's. The second meaning, which involves a rather hot debate, refers to a style of cooking. The last meaning describes a unique dialect of French spoken by the "cajuns."

Chickory

This is actually a root that is ground and roasted to add flavor to coffee. Cafe au Lait is made with Coffee, chickory and boiled milk.

Crawfish

Crawfish are sort of like little lobsters. Locals have "crawfish parties" where friends gather to feast on pounds and pounds of crawfish that are highly seasoned and boiled with onions, new potatoes, whole garlic cloves, sausage and anything else that adds flavor to these delicious crustaceans. Yankees sometimes call crawfish "crayfish." Locals often refer to crawfish as "mudbugs." In New Orleans, you 'squeeze' the head (of the crawfish) and 'suck out' the juices! Then .. you pluck out the bit of tail meat. Yum !

Creole - "Kree Yol"

This word has a rather complicated history. Creole refers to the French and Spanish descendents in New Orleans. Creole also describes a style of cooking. The debate regarding the differences between "creole" and "cajun" cooking rages on...

Doubloons

From the tradition of the Spanish pirates comes the doubloon. Doubloons are aluminum coins that are imprinted with the name of a Krewe and the theme of its parade and are thrown from floats during Carnival. Over the years, people have begun to collect and trade doubloons as if they were actual coins. Doubloons are one of the most popular Mardi Gras throws.

Etoufee - "A Two Fay"

There are many variations to this dish. Most etoufees start with a roux and consist of rice, shell fish or meat and vegetable

Flambeaux - "Flam Bo"

Before there were electric lights, Mardi Gras parades were lit by fire torches called flambeaux. Today, the tradition of the flambeaux and their mysterious illumination is carried on by some of the old line Krewes.

Grillades - "Gree Yods"

This is broiled veal served in gravy. Usually, grillades are served for breakfast with grits.

Gumbo

The word "gumbo" comes from an African language that means okra. Gumbo is a traditional southern soup like dish. It can be made with just about anything. But, all gumbos start with a rich roux and usually include either sea food or sausage.

Jambalaya - "Jam Ba Lie Uh"

This is a very popular party dish as it can be made in large quantities ! Usually, jambalaya is a spicy dish made with rice, tomato and either sea food or meat is added for flavor. See the recipe in this guide !

Krewe

Legend has it that the word "Krewe" came from the old English spelling for the word "crew." A Krewe is an organization or club that parades at Mardi Gras.

Lagniappe - "Lan Yap"

This is what New Orleans call something you get for free. For example, if you go to the butcher and he gives you a bone for your dog, it's called lagniappe.

Locker

If the bellman at the hotel asks if you would like your bags placed in the "locker," he is asking if you would like to have them placed in the closet.

Muffaletta - "Moof A lot a"

Said to have been invented at "Central Grocery" on Decatur Street in the french Quarter- A Muffaletta is a very large sandwich served on an Italian bread loaf. The muffaletta is made from ham, salami and provolone cheese and garnished with an olive relish.

Neutral Ground

In most cities this is called the "median-" You know, that little strip of ground in the middle of a road. Legend has it that the neutral ground got its name from early New Orleans when the French and Spanish could do business between sections of the city standing on the "neutral ground."

Po'Boy

This is any sandwich that is made with a loaf of french bread. It's called a Po'Boy because one sandwich can feed an entire family.

Roux - "Rew"

A roux is the base for many popular New Orleans dishes. It is made from flour and oil.

Throw

Most parades require the crowd to politely sit and applaud as each float passes by. Not in New Orleans ! In New Orleans a parade is a "sport." The crowd is expected to participate in the action by catching stuff that is "thrown" from a passing float. At Mardi Gras, the most popular throws are beads, doubloons and plastic cups.

Snowball

New Orleans gets real hot in the summer and people cool off with this local version of a snow cone.