Updated: 03/16/20 | 16. marca 2020
As I threw beads over the wrought-iron balcony of Bourbon Bandstand, I looked down at the crowds: strangers in sophisticated costumes toasted drinks, laughed, as well as danced while street bands entertained them with jazz.
“Mardi Gras is definitely wild,” I thought.
As they state here, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” (“Let the great times roll!”)
Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday) is the city’s greatest event of the year. While Mardi Gras officially occurs on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, there are tons of parades as well as celebrations leading up to the huge event.
Attending Mardi Gras in new Orleans had been a dream of mine considering that college. It’s one of the very best — as well as a lot of infamous — festivals in the world.
Seeing pictures in magazines as well as features on TV made me say, “I want to go to THAT! That seems fun!”
But, the years passed, college became a far-off memory, as well as my days stumbling with streets were long behind me. While the wild celebration the day brings has little charm to me, my fantastic American road trip took me to new Orleans during the festival so I made a decision to suck it up as well as throw beads with the very best of them!
Arriving in new Orleans the Sunday before Mardi Gras, my buddy Kiersten from The Blonde Abroad as well as I raced to catch the popular Bacchus parade. It’s one of the largest parades in the city as well as is understood for its size, spectacular floats, as well as star hosts.
But Bacchus is just one of lots of parades.
Beginning in January, new Orleans is filled with everyday parades that are an integral part of the Mari Gras season. like Bacchus, they function massive as well as sophisticated floats, costumes, dancers, as well as marching bands created to produce a carnival-like atmosphere. As they wind with the city, people on the floats throw beads, toys, as well as even coconuts at the crowds below.
Local residents line parade routes, creating tiny picnic areas total with lounge chairs, food, as well as tables. They take up whole sections of the street, arriving early in the morning to insurance claim their spot. lots of even come with ladders to get a much better vantage point from which to catch whatever is thrown from the floats.
These picnic areas clutter the streets, as onlookers take prime genuine estate from other onlookers. Normally, cities normally try to enable as lots of people to view parades as possible as well as prevent those taking up so much space. however right here in new Orleans, no one cared, as well as I discovered that that little difference was one of the most fascinating parts of the festival.
As Mardi Gras gets closer, the city fills with revelers as well as parties. The parades bring out the crowds, as well as music as well as drinks keep them. In new Orleans, there’s no such thing as closing time.
Then, on the huge day, new Orleans bursts into organized chaos.
Beginning early on the day of Mardi Gras, the Zulu parade — popular for throwing coconuts — winds its method with the city. as well as the society of Saint Anne — finest understood for their sophisticated costumes — leaves the Bywater for the French Quarter, with revelers joining along the way.
As the day continues, the parties grow in size in the French Quarter, as well as the streets swell with vendors as well as partygoers.
I spent my day on Bourbon Street, new Orleans’s a lot of popular drinking street.
My buddies as well as I satisfied a few Italian tourists, bonded over drinks, as well as spent the afternoon barhopping. The day got fuzzy as the drinks flowed, as well as at about 9pm I called it a night, went home, as well as passed out…I mean, went to bed. (There are those who can begin their drinking at 1pm as well as go up until dawn. I’m not one of those people.)
Though it was an early night for me, Mardi Gras was as fun as well as outrageous as I had hoped. everybody was in a happy, friendly, as well as welcoming mood. I loved the camaraderie. The spirit of event as well as brotherhood throughout the city made up for the crowds (though there are plenty of areas where you can get away from them!).
It was wild, exciting, zany, fun as well as festive. In short, it was whatever I had hoped it would be.
(Note: All pictures except the top one are by The Blonde Abroad.)
Book Your trip to new Orleans: Logistical ideas as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to discover a inexpensive flight. They are my two preferred browse engines since they browse web sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned. begin with Skyscanner very first though since they have the greatest reach!
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the greatest inventory as well as finest deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.compretože neustále vracajú najlacnejšie sadzby pre penzióny, ako aj lacné hotely.
Nepamätáte si cestovné poistenie
Cestovné poistenie vás zaistí proti chorobám, zraneniu, krádeži a zrušení. Je to podrobná bezpečnosť v situácii, čokoľvek sa pokazí. Nikdy som nešiel na výlet bez toho, pretože som ho v minulosti musel využiť veľakrát. Moje preferované spoločnosti, ktoré ponúkajú najlepšie služby a hodnotu, sú:
Bezpečnostné krídlo (pre všetkých pod 70)
Zaistite moju cestu (pre tých nad 70 rokov)
Medjet (pre ďalšie pokrytie repatriácie)
Hľadáte tie najlepšie spoločnosti, s ktorými ušetria peniaze?
Pozrite sa na moju stránku zdrojov, kde nájdete tie najlepšie spoločnosti, ktoré môžete využiť pri cestovaní. Uvádzam všetky tie, ktoré využívam na ušetrite peniaze, keď som na ceste. Ušetrite vám peniaze, keď budete cestovať.
Potrebujete sprievodcu?
New Orleans má v ponuke niektoré skutočne fantastické výlety. Na dôkladnú pešiu prehliadku skontrolujte prechádzky. Majú profesionálnych sprievodcov a môžu vás dostať do zákulisia v najlepších atrakciách mesta.
Ak chcete prehliadku cyklistov, využite prehliadky tukových pneumatík. Majú to najlepšie a veľa nákladovo efektívnych výletov na bicykli v meste (a majú tiež strašidelnú výleciu na bicykli).
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