New Orleans, Louisiana: 5 Feb 2009 to 8 Feb 2009

The Big Easy, NOLA, Paris of the Americas, the Crescent City—whatever you call her, New Orleans evokes images of Mardi Gras revelry, the vibrant sound of jazz and joyful notes of Zydeco, a savoury bowl of gumbo or a table covered with crawdads, a streetcar named Desire, the aroma of freshly made beignets and chicory-laced coffee at Café du Monde….

Since the fateful visit of Katrina in August of 2005, New Orleans also brings to mind unforgettable images of death and destruction, ineptitude and heroism, strength and the determination to carry on. The higher elevation of the city’s venerable French Quarter and Garden Quarter allowed them to escape the worst of the destruction, while most of the ill-fated Lower Ninth Ward remains a wasteland three years after the storm. Both sides of New Orleans deserve, and need, your attention.