nola in pola

Last week, Jared and I (along with a whole bunch of good friends) took a little trip down to New Orleans.  I've never been there before, and wasn't really sure what to expect.  I didn't really know a whole lot about the city before Katrina, except the usual: mardi gras, good jazz, cajun food, etc.  I had a couple of friends who moved down there after Katrina to help with the recovery and I feel like I, along with most of the country, really saw the underbelly of that city once it was flooded out and its residents scattered across the U.S., so I was really curious to get a firsthand look at this place, almost five years later.  

We were only there for three days, so I know there was a ton that we missed.  I think if I ever were to go back (which I'd like to), I would definitely stay for at least a week.  And get a bicycle.  We stayed at a hostel in a pretty nice part of town, and got to experience a lot of the culture: good food, music, beautiful two-hundred year old houses.  And then, a friend of mine who lives there drove us around and showed us some of the city that is still living amongst empty lots and condemned homes.  It was a stark, stark contrast.  Anyways, I have more photos coming from the lab this week, so I'll be sharing those for the next few days.  Here are some of the polaroids I took.  

PS: Speaking of polaroids, have you seen the news?!  Thank you Impossible Project!!