Down at the Mardi Gras: Part One

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

I've been MIA on this blog for a little over a week because I've been in Louisiana for Mardi Gras with my parents and Kay!  As of yet, I'm low on pictures-- but they are coming, never you fear.  Essentially, my Mardi Gras experience was a bit more than a weekend of Cajun cooking, fried chicken, beignets, King Cake, a krewe ball, parades, purple/green/gold everything, throws of every make, but mostly beads beads beads.  I had no idea how many beads or how many different types of beads.  We ranged from Baton Rouge, to Lafayette, to New Orleans, to Morgan City.  We got a taste of every kind of Mardi Gras, except the really rural chicken-chasing kind.  But we heard about that kind.

We went to Mardi Gras because some friends of my parents live in Lafayette and have wanted us to come for years, so we had a very specialized experience.  The trip opened with an amazing meal at Beausoleil in Baton Rouge.  I had chicken and andouille gumbo, sea scallops on a bed of chorizo risotto, and we finished off with a white chocolate bread pudding and praline ice cream.  The next day we found ourselves in Lafayette at a fancy dress store, where I let my mom and Kay talk me into buying a beautiful one strap, blue-green sequined formal dress.  It will be perfect for Vegas.  The salesman was a friend of girl I knew in high school, so when we walked in he gave us "virgin mimosas": they were out of orange juice, so just the champagne ;). 

That night we went to the Krewe of Xanadu Ball at the Cajundome.  I really shouldn't even try to explain this one without pictures.  Suffice to say, it was beyond my dreams with the costumes, the dancing, the presentation of the Krewe Royal Court, etc.  There will be pictures.

Then off to New Orleans, for a day of parades!  We had a prime viewing spot at the Federal Reserve building, with clean bathrooms, secure parking, and bleachers to sit on if we wished.  The first parade to roll by was the Krewe of Iris, which my high school friend (mentioned above) rode in.  I saw her and called her name, and she tossed us her "good throws"-- that is, beads that were much nicer than the typical Mardi Gras bead.  We discovered that it works this way at most parades: since the riders buy their own throws, they throw the normal stuff for most of the parade, but if they see someone they know-- or someone especially enthusiastic-- they will throw their "good throws", whether prettier beads, stuffed animals, cups-- my mom even got a parasol!  After Iris we saw Krewe of Tucks, much more of a wild, "everyman" parade.  I got a throw that looks like a real necklace, and my dad got me some beads with rubber duckies on them!

Then we walked onto Bourbon Street.  Then quickly walked off Bourbon Street and back to the relative calm and security of the Federal Reserve Building.  We learned later that several hours after we left, four people were shot on Bourbon Street.  Luckily not fatally, but still.

That night, the Krewe of Endymion Parade rolled.  Endymion is a super krewe, and their floats showed it.  They were debuting their new float, Pontchartain Beach, comprised of nine segments that took up a whole city block and a half.  The float had 220 riders, all throwing things at the crowd below.  Thus, the bead catching then became a defensive sport.  I got hit in the eye, Kay has a bruise on her forehead, and my mom has a bump at her hairline.  After awhile, I retreated farther from the street in an effort to keep from becoming concussed.  But just wait for the pictures!

After Endymion, it was back across the Afatchalya Swamp to Layafette, where three more days of Mardi Gras awaited us!  Tune in to "Down at the Mardi Gras: Part Two" to hear the rest!