We arrived in New Orleans Saturday afternoon. After getting situated into the Banana Courtyard, a group of students went out to explore the city. It did not take long until we heard that various types of music that represents the city’s various cultures: jazz, bluegrass, folk music, and rock n’ roll. We listened to solo and group performances on almost every street. It was normal to see and hear tap dancers clinking away around the musicians. Although there were musicians playing all throughout the day, it seems like more come out as the sun went down. Many musicians sat on the doorsteps of shops that had already closed for the night. Not all of the music sounded good. After walking along the streets, a few students went to the Balcony Music Club to listen to a live band. We thought it was going to be a bluegrass night, but instead it was jazz. The atmosphere in the venue was electric. The entire audience was reacting to the music, unable to stay still. There was definitely a connection between the people and the music. As the night grew older, the music club became pretty packed, and we ended up leaving before it got too late.

On Sunday, a group of students was driven to St. Bernard’s Parish. There we attended the Isleños Fiesta, which celebrated the Spanish heritage to the area. The festival included music, and there was food and crafts for sale. There were various historical buildings used to tell the history of the Canary Island descendants in Louisiana. There was a variety of food at the fiesta, ranging from American, Cajun, and Spanish dishes. I had paella and an alligator sausage. The small marketplace contained items such as hats, jewelry, leather products, and decorations. After venturing around the festival, we were given a tour by Bill Hyland, who is a member of the Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society. He took us from one building to another, explaining each buildings importance and how it has been preserved. One of the most interesting things about the houses were that many received damage during Hurricane Katrina. The area had been flooded, and a lot of the buildings also received damage from wind and debris. One of the buildings had the roof blown off. But despite the damage that was done, the Heritage and Cultural Society was able to renovate the buildings that remained. I had a great time at this festival, and it was great to learn about the Spanish influence that the coast of Louisiana has.

On Tuesday, we drove over an hour to Covington, Louisiana and visited the Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery. During our experience we were taught how to distinguish an alligator from a crocodile. Alligators are black with gold stripes; crocodiles are gold with black stripes. Also, gators are normally just defensive, while crocs are all around grumpy. Establishments like Insta-Gator are helping Liousiana’s gator population by collecting and incubating eggs and then releasing a percentage of the hatched alligators into the wild, only after they had reached a certain size—4 feet long. The process for collecting alligator eggs involves boats and airplanes. The airplane scans the marshes for alligator’s nests and drops markers near them. The people on the boats then find the markers and extract the eggs. The eggs are very delicate, and whoever is collecting them has to make sure that the eggs are turned upside down or the little alligator inside probably won’t survive. And, although they keep a majority of their alligators for meat and souvenirs, Insta-Gator Ranch releases a small percentage of alligators back into the wild, helping the alligator population thrive in the wild.