Jackson:
We did some great exploring today. The bayou trip was a lot of fun just being out on the water. We saw 5 alligators on the swamp tour. I felt so informed on New Orleans and its history today. Some stories were starting to be repeated so I feel like I am learning. I HELD AND ALLIGATOR…. Baby one, of course.
Their cemetery was very beautiful. It was cool to hear their process on how they did it. Bury above ground and after 366 days, family members can join that tomb. The bus tour was fun because we really had to hurry to make sure we made it on time for the tour. Once we were on, it was great. Our tour guide had so much knowledge on the city.
Creole Queen, the paddle wheeler tour was interesting. We got to see where the Louisiana Purchase went down. The boat then dropped us off at the location where Great Britain tried to gain control of the Mississippi river to ensure better exports/imports. Learning about that battle was probably the first time for me because my history knowledge is lacking. It is hard to believe how busy we can make a day. Get out of bed, eat and get ready, then off to doing all of these activities. Finally, by the time we get back to the hotel, it is time to go to bed.
PS – On one of the stops for the bus tour, we stopped at the park that had a bunch of sculptures. It was said that the sculptures together totaled over $25 million. I enjoyed exploring the park with Fred and Justin.
Kristin:
Today was really neat. We were able to tour the town. It was more like a tourist day, but we were able to really connect with the locals during our tours and understand the culture of New Orleans. The first thing we did was a paddle wheeler Creole Queen tour – it was really fun to see the geographic locations of this port town. Being on the Mississippi was very cool – it’s a different world out there. We were also able to make a stop at a historic battle field outside of town where New Orleans fought to retain the land for the United States. It was cool to step foot on a place so rich with history that made our country so important.
The second opportunity we were able to experience today was the New Orleans bus tour. It was awesome. Our guide was born and raised here so she knew where she was going and what she was talking about. She also was able to contribute into the tour her own personal experiences of growing up here and living here. The immersion was really there and she wanted us to really understand how beautiful and important this town is. She taught us terms that the locals use around here as well.
The final tour of the day was the swamp tour. It was sweet to see the swamps – something you hear that the south is full of. On this, we got to see alligators (which was awesome because we don’t have them at home). It was something I had never seen or done before so it was a neat experience – that really added to m overall memories and experiences of this trip.
Leni:
Today we had the opportunity to go on three different tours. The first tour this morning was the Mississippi River tour on an old steam boat called the Creole Queen. The Creole Queen took us to the location of the Battle of 1815 where General Andrew Jackson, who later became President of the United States, won the battle against the British. If the United States hadn’t won that battle, Louisiana, and all of the territories from the Louisiana Purchase, would have been lost to the Brits, and the United States would look much more different than what it is today. This tour taught me the importance of Louisiana and how pivotal it was to our country’s history.
The second tour we went on today was the bus tour around the city. One thing that stood out to me was when our tour guide took us to see the levees. She said that most of the population didn’t know if they would even work. She then went on to say that the destruction from hurricane Katrina was the government’s fault. This showed me just how much faith Louisiana and it’s people have in the government.
The third and final tour that we went on was the swamp tour. The only thing that stood out to me was the natural beauty of the swamp. Most people thank swamps are dirty, scary, and nasty. It was actually very beautiful.
Bryan:
The Paddle wheel tour on the Mississippi River was really interesting because it gave a great view of the city from the river itself. The bus tour was fascinating because the woman leading the tour was very informative and gave us a tremendous amount of information regarding the history of the city. Anything from architecture to the workings of Hurricane Katrina and everything in between. My favorite event of the day however, would have to be the swamp tour. It was really cool to be able to explore the outdoors of Louisiana. The scenery and the sunset were gorgeous and we got to see lots of wildlife. My favorite of which would be the alligators. At one point we had about 5 alligators surrounding the boat, which was really cool to witness. I then got to hold a baby alligator, which was a very surreal experience. They’re very pretty creatures, and actually quite cute and soft, as babies anyway. All in all, the day was very interesting and entertaining.
Justin:
The day started with the ferry ride to the battle grounds. I thought this was a beautiful way to start the day because I have always dreamed of riding the boat in the Mississippi River. The wind hitting my face and the nice cool breeze was much needed because it did really give me all the time to take it slow and enjoy the view. It was really awesome to see a different perspective in the job and I was able to really see a new perspective of the city and the history of New Orleans. Learning about the war was devastating because of how many people died that day. But also learning about woe the soldiers of color were treated as equal because of their service.
After lunch, we hurried our way to the New Orleans bus tour. I thought that this was an awesome experience because the tour guide took us on many different aspects of the city. The tour ranged from the history of the city and different parishes, to the parade routes and the tragic history of Hurricane Katrina. The best favorite part was the cemetery and also sculptures, which I thought being able to reflect on the art pieces, was an amazing experience. The cemetery brought a lot of flashbacks because it’s a similar way our cemetery is set up. This was awesome because I was able to compare both set up and reminded me of the Philippines.
The last part of the day was the Swamp tour. I have never been in the swamps before. That adventure was amazing and it takes a different experience of New Orleans because of the nature and how the locals talked almost the of the ecosystem. Overall today, we were given a different experience of New Orleans from its river to its city and then its nature such as swamps.
Jennifer:
I had a great experience today. Being on the boat reminded me of something I did in Seattle. Being able to experience that in an state was exciting along with being able to learn more about the battle of New Orleans since I didn’t learn much about it in school. I was glad to be able to actually see where it took place and see what the soldiers used in the battles.
The next thing I really enjoyed doing was going to the swamp to see the alligators. Although I was somewhat nervous to see them because I was expecting them to be huge. Even though they weren’t huge, I was happy to see them because I know I won’t see one that close anytime soon or close, like I did today. The thing I loved the most about today was the cemetery stop on the bus tour. I loved it because back home, we don’t have them like that, but in Mexico, they have the plots similar so it was nice to see something like that.
Madai:
Today we had the opportunity to go on a cruise and explore the Mississippi River. We had the opportunity to learn about some of the history of New Orleans, including the Louisiana Purchase, the founding of New Orleans, and the Battle of New Orleans. We also had the opportunity to visit the Chalmette Battlefield where we learned more about the Battle of New Orleans.
After that, we took a city bus tour. During the tour we got to learn about New Orleans and its history. I learned a lot of neat things about New Orleans, but it was also a little overwhelming with all of the information I was receiving. What was also cool about this tour was that we got to see all of New Orleans which I appreciated because we are only here for five days and wouldn’t have the chance to do that. During the tour we also stopped at the cemetery which was very beautiful and nothing like we have back home.
The last thing we did was go on a swamp tour. This was probably my favorite because I got to see alligators for the first time! It was also nice just getting some fresh air. Overall, I think today was the day I learned the most about New Orleans. We learned about the history in the morning, continued learning about it during the tour where we also transitioned to learn about present day New Orleans and its culture.
Fred:
Today we participated in 3 tourist attractions. In the morning, we went on the paddle wheeler cruise tour. There, on the two-hour cruise, the tour guide eloquently articulated the history of the Mississippi River and the building that reside on the river bank. The tour guide also incorporated some modern history by explaining the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on the area. Shortly after, and by short I mean an hour, we stopped on the battle grounds of the British and Americans. There was a museum there that had all of the equipment that was used during those attacks, which were led by the hero – Andrew Jackson.
After finishing our cruise tour, we headed towards our second tour, the city bus tour. In this tour we stopped at the cemetery, which reminded me of my home nation’s Mexico’s. We then were given the history of some monumental buildings, statues, and streets. After that, we stopped again at the rest stop near a statue park that had beautiful statues worth millions of dollars. The ride continued and the tour guide went on explaining the city’s history.
Our last stop was at the swamp tour. I have never been in an area like that so it all seemed foreign to me. I was interested by the alligators and the beautiful area.