Denouement Diaries - Week 18

Essentially the ramblings of two adults that probably require adult supervision.

As usual, follow along at:

Anyway, let's get into it:


8/6/23 - Day 120: Merida, Mexico --> New Orleans, USA

  • Travel day
  • It sucked
  • 0345 wakeup for a 0400 cab that we had organised through the hotel
  • Rolled out of bed and down to the lobby and into the cab
  • To the airport - pretty quick
  • Fairly easy through check in and security
  • Then sat down and had some breakfast that actually wasn't too bad
  • Then some pastry and coffee afterwards
  • Before boarding the first of three flights
  • Easy flight in to Monterey
  • We then did the terminal dance from the domestic arrivals to international departures
  • And copped a fee for Casey's extra bag
  • The morning then expanded from a 2 hour layover to a 4.5 hour layover because Spirit airlines sucks
  • Eventually on to the Spirit flight to Houston
  • Which was short
  • But then we had the Spanish Inquisition at the immigration desk because it seemed that the lady just could not believe that two people were travelling the world on a year off...
  • With carry on...
  • No one expects the Spanish Inquisition...
  • Very much thought we were going to be taken off for secondary questioning
  • Anyway got through and had a fairly short layover (due to Spirit delays)
  • Had some Chick Fil A - was excellent
  • Then on to the last flight
  • Arrived in New Orleans
  • And Sasha was their straight away to pick us up!!
  • Straight down into Jacques-Imos for some Louisiana dinner - was excellent
  • Then to our AirBnB by about 2200ish
  • And finally did some washing...

9/6/23 - Day 121: New Orleans

  • Slept in like degenerates
  • And wandered down to La Boulangerie on Magazine Street for coffee and pastries
  • Sasha had to read some EEGs at work...
  • Uber in to the French Quarter to find a store Casey had scoped out to get some new Pole Dancing heels - her current pair were broken
  • Found a really cool store, Casey tried on a bunch of stuff, left with some new heels
  • Wandered down to Cafe Du Monde for some coffee and Beignets - as excellent as I remember
  • Then back in to the French quarter stopping at a few galleries along the way (partly for their air conditioning...) - we particularly liked the art of Kezic
  • We stopped off at the 'Death Museum' - a fairly macabre place with lots of paraphernalia of American serial killers - was weird
  • Then Uber back to our AirBnB for a bit
  • Sasha was done reading EEGs, picked us up and took us on a bit of a food tour - The Pontchartran Hotel for mocktails overlooking the city, District Donuts for some snacks, wandering around Audubon Park, then back in to the French Quarter for mocktails at the Hotel Monteleone, Then dinner at Parasol's for some PoBoys - all excellent
  • Home and organised a swamp tour

10/6/23 - Day 122: Out on the Bayou

  • Rad day
  • Went and grabbed some iced coffees and snacks from French Truck
  • Then Sasha picked us up at around 11
  • Drove north out of town across the massive lake and into the bayous
  • To the boat tour company - Cajun Encounters
  • Was really cool - saw dozens of alligators, raccoons, birds, turtles, catfish etc
  • Then we drove back in to NOLA
  • Grabbed some more iced coffees
  • And went for sandwiches at Stein's Market and Deli - some good Rubens
  • Back to the AirBnB - started watching The Princess and the Frog
  • Got changed then Sasha picked us up and we headed in to the downtown to find a park
  • A homeless woman yelled at us as we found a park...
  • Then walked in to the French Qaurter
  • For Pride Parade
  • Grabbed a pack of cigars from a store along the way
  • The Parade was really cool
  • We found a bar that had windows opening on to street level on the route of the parade
  • Sat and had a good time people watching
  • Then went up to the balcony so we could watch the Parade from above
  • Top tier people watching
  • We got lots of beads...
  • Back to the car and drove to an awesome pizza place - Pizza Delicious
  • Had cigars and pizza
  • Then back via a snack stop at a servo
  • To continue watching the Princess and the Frog

11/6/23 - Day 123: New Orleans

  • Somewhat suprised by Sasha's text at abou 1125 that he was 5 minutes away
  • We may have slept in...
  • Threw some clothes on
  • Out into Sasha's car
  • Then towards downtown for brunch with Sasha's Neurology residents
  • Was fun
  • Had some coffees
  • Afterwards, they were all continuing on for their graduation
  • So we took an interval to go to Mayan's for some cigars
  • Then met back up with them all at a bar place with an outside area where Casey, Sasha and I smoked them
  • Went back to the accomodation for a bit and chilled
  • Before heading back in to the French Quarter to Preservation Hall to watch a Jazz Show
  • Which was fantastic
  • Just awesome
  • Popeyes on the way home - such good chicken
  • Then home and started watching the NOLA set American Horror Story season

12/6/23 - Day 124: New Orleans

  • Chill day
  • Little bit of a sleep in
  • Then over to French Truck for some coffee and breakfast
  • Casey went off to her Pole class on Canal street while I did some reading
  • Early in the afternoon when Casey was back we walked up to Stein's Deli to try and get some Rubens, but learned that it was shut on Mondays...
  • Uber'd back because it was so hot
  • And ordered some Popeyes to be delivered...
  • Good chicken
  • While we watched some American Horror
  • In the evening, Sasha picked us up and took us to his place
  • Watched a movie - 'Renfield' - Nic Cage movie set in New Orleans
  • And smoked some cigars
  • Then home to bed and pack up a bit

13/6/23 - Day 125: Airport Failures

  • Iced coffees and packing up
  • Then Sasha was able to give us a lift to the airport - what a man
  • Turned in to an annoying day
  • Went through security
  • Got some rubbish coffees as usual
  • Got to the gate (already delayed Spirit) and was hit with a bag fee for Casey's bag = annoyed
  • Boarded the flight
  • Sat on the tarmac for a while
  • Started to taxi
  • Then were notified that some sort of warning light in the cockpit would not turn off
  • So back to the gate and deplaned
  • Obviously not ideal because we had a connecting flight to Toronto later in the night; and accomodation booked in Toronto
  • And obviously were not going to make that
  • Got a refund from Spirit at the gate
  • Then tried to find another flight
  • But Spirit suck - took so long to get anything sorted at the gate that the last feasible flights from NOLA-Toronto had closed (I figured we could just walk to the relevant gate with downloaded boarding passes...)
  • So got annoyed and had some hot dogs and tried to book some more flights
  • Failed
  • So we messaged Sasha, packeed up and got an Uber back into NOLA
  • Got to Sasha's place
  • Then succeeded at booking some more flights in the morning
  • Went to whole foods and picked up some dinner, then Creole Creamery to get some ice cream dessert
  • And watched Milf Manor - absolutely compelling telvision...
  • Then sleeps - Sasha gave us his bed - BOG for that...

14/6/23 - Day 126: New Orleans, USA --> Toronto, Canada

  • Sasha, in his ongoing saintliness (or to get out of a Radiology meeting...) drove us to the airport in the morning.
  • Where we got an on time Frontier Airlines flight
  • Then transited through Orlando - which was an amazing airport
  • To the Lynx flight up to Toronto
  • Everything easy
  • Was always going to be difficult to catch Alix before her night shift started so I booked a hotel near the aiport for the night
  • Last time we were in Toronto Airport/Airport Hotels was on our way home from Cuba, grossly unerprepared for January weather...
  • Uber to the Hotel for the night
  • Had some Pizzas delivered
  • Watched 'The Proposal'
  • Sleeps

Stay tuned...