New Orleans Nonsense

I couldn’t see the cobblestone ground through the empty bottles and rainbows of beads. But I could hear the trumpets and drums coming closer and I could feel the excitement building in everyone around me. No one was a stranger here, no matter your age or origin you belonged. The first parade of Mardi Gras weekend brought the whole city together for one crowded celebration in the French Quarter streets. Where there was normally gypsies relaxing with their dogs and musicians filling every corner with melodies, were now hundreds of drunkards staggering and dancing. As the floats began to roll by the chaos only increased. The Krewe du Vieux parade celebrate the debauchery that is the spirit of New Orleans. Varying from half naked men and women to floats showcasing giant scandalous body parts. Girls were taking pictures they probably wouldn’t remember with police officers. You could hear nothing but their sirens and the numerous bands filling the atmosphere with life. You couldn’t tell the difference between who was a character in the parade or the audience between the preposterous costumes. The entire French Quarter buzzed with people, I switched groups of friend continuously getting lost and separated. The downside of Mardi Gras is all the drinking with no convenient restrooms. My friend desperately had to go and we ran frantic trying to find a bathroom that wouldn’t cost money or our dignity. But the more we were rejected by restaurants and stores the less dignity seemed to matter. As I stood covering my friend watering the flowers in the middle of the city, I wondered how I got to this enigmatic place. But I hoped I would never leave.