In early March 2003, Kat and I went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. It was my first time in New Orleans, and the first Mardi Gras for both of us. I also got to meet Kat's brother Ben, who lives there. We had a wonderful time, and of course took a bunch of pictures. :-)

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The tour started in Jackson Square. This is a statue of Andrew Jackson.

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In the French Quarter, we passed by this huge house, that takes up an entire block.

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And guess what? It's for sale! Asking price: $6.5 million (US$, of course). 6100 sq. ft.

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St. Louis Cemetery #1. As is the norm in New Orleans, all of the plots are above-ground.

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Our guide points out where we are on the map.

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Some of the tombs are under construction. It's up to the families to take care of them, unless they purchase a perpetual service contract from the cemetery.

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There are some well-kempt ones, and some not-so-well-kempt ones.

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The tomb of Marie Laveaux. Many a voudoun practitioner comes here to mark his X's.

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There's a former mayor buried right next to Marie Laveaux. In fact, his family had his tomb rotated so that it faced the same way as Laveaux's, so the people who came to visit her would see his as well. A politician even beyond death.

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The graves of two children who died of yellow fever. Not only in disrepair, they have also been recently vandalized.

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The Italian Society tomb, the largest in the cemetery. The remains of hundreds of people are inside.

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Apparently, some people are confused about where Marie Laveaux's tomb is, and once one person starts marking their X's, others follow suit.

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This is still an active cemetery. More tombs being constructed.

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This page last updated: 12 Mar, 2003