We departed from New Iberia this morning and drove through a heavy thunderstorm into N.O., returned our car and took the complimentary shuttle bus to our convention hotel, the famous historic Roosevelt Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Arrived there at around 2 pm and went out again to register for IPW, International Powwow. After having business accomplished, we went to Armstrong Park for the Cajun-Zydeco Festival - a music festival with boothes, food vendors etc. set up - and were able to hear two great bands play, which brought us in the right New Orleans mood: Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots (left) and Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers (right). That was real fun, first of all, the music, but, also, the mixed crowd – what a completely different world again!
At 5:30 pm we walked to Preservation Hall, a famous jazz venue, where the first party, the Colorado party, took place. Though music was rather old-fashioned compared to what we have heard before, food and drinks as well as company were good in this cramped, old building, and best was the end: a second-line (the group following the brass band) - see pics below - through the French Quarter, where signs were set up "Welcome IPW".
Next party: Tom on Tour, a LGBT tour operator had invited us to his party on the balcony of "The Swamp" on famous Bourbon Street. Never been on a N.O. balcony before. This evening the Gay Pride Parade took place, it was weird, esp. in otherwise catholic-conservative New Orleans. On to the Washington, DC Party in a club across the street, but didn't stay very long, since it was very loud and crowded and, again, more about drinking than eating. Walked home to the hotel with a friend of us and called it a day.
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