New Orleans, Day 1

Getting off of my plane, I had the choice of taking a shuttle or a taxi. I opted for the shuttle since 1) taxis make me kinda nervous and 2)I thought I would see more of the city via the shuttle. Secretly, I wanted to see for myself the damage Katrina had wrought.

I was not disappointed. We set out in Metairie (to lazy to comfirm the spelling) and drove through Jefferson Parish. Someone asked the driver about the damage and the entire shuttle quieted down. Some of the damage we could see for ourselves, like roofs with damaged shingles. Some of it had to be pointed out, like the watermarks that still appear on the building. I would guess that it would come up to my waist-maybe 4 ft? The driver mentioned that the "waters" were higher than that, but the waterline shows where it settled. And remained.

I have never been to New Orleans, so I don't really what it was like before

. It seems kinda empty, more so than I expected. Then again, it is November. But even our shuttle bus driver/tour guide mentioned that he felt the city was only at 40%.

That's it for now. I did walk around the French Quarter today, but I had my head buried in a Blackberry, so I didn't see much. Maybe tomorrow...