New Orleans. It's a strange place. Unlike anywhere else in the south; they actively encourage debauchery with little recourse to taste or decency. It's a place to party. Well, at least in the French Quarter.
Luke and I were offered beer, drugs and sex; all for a knock-down price, all with a smile and all before 11.30am. It's seedy and disconcerting but the place is so comfortable with it's hedonistic reputation that nothing seems out of place.
Until you visit the Lower Ninth Ward. Here, nothing's in place. The levy broke at the Lower Ninth and the devastation is difficult to put in to words. Houses were literally stripped away and communities drowned in the process. Those buildings that withstood the torrent were gutted and few families have taken the chance of moving back.
We spent the day with Lower Ninth.org - a completely voluntary group who refit houses that are structurally sound, for New Orleanians who want to move back. It's hard work that is just inspirational, touching and crucial to restoring a city that has seemingly been left behind by the Government.
All of the house building we saw in the Lower Ninth was being carried out by charities - Brad Pitt is doing more than the Bush Administration here.
But, we're here to talk about the future. Which is what we did.
Thanks to Matt from Lower Ninth.org who was our excellent tour guide and, Melba 'Lucky' Hort and Robert Green who are rebuilding their lives in L9.
Luke and I were offered beer, drugs and sex; all for a knock-down price, all with a smile and all before 11.30am. It's seedy and disconcerting but the place is so comfortable with it's hedonistic reputation that nothing seems out of place.
Until you visit the Lower Ninth Ward. Here, nothing's in place. The levy broke at the Lower Ninth and the devastation is difficult to put in to words. Houses were literally stripped away and communities drowned in the process. Those buildings that withstood the torrent were gutted and few families have taken the chance of moving back.
We spent the day with Lower Ninth.org - a completely voluntary group who refit houses that are structurally sound, for New Orleanians who want to move back. It's hard work that is just inspirational, touching and crucial to restoring a city that has seemingly been left behind by the Government.
All of the house building we saw in the Lower Ninth was being carried out by charities - Brad Pitt is doing more than the Bush Administration here.
But, we're here to talk about the future. Which is what we did.
Thanks to Matt from Lower Ninth.org who was our excellent tour guide and, Melba 'Lucky' Hort and Robert Green who are rebuilding their lives in L9.
1 comment:
This was really good guys very interesting and moving
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