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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Beads really do grow on trees down here.

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Kat and Ben start the beer-drinking. Ben is holding up his watch to indicate that it's 9:15 in the morning.

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Ian, boa-bedecked, with a few beads (before the parade).

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The crowds start to gather along St. Charles.

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The throngs grow. Mardi Gras really reminded me a lot of Queensday (pictures from 1999, 2001, 2002). Mardi Gras had less orange, but more costumes, and many more beads.

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The Zulu parade begins with the Mayor of New Orleans on horseback.

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The mayor was tossing out dubloons. This is pretty common at Mardi Gras, and getting a dubloon is considered a little cooler than getting beads. [Getting a coconut is cooler still.] The mayor's dubloons were actually chocolate.

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The King of the Zulu parade.

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Some of the crazy Zulu floats.

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The Queen of the Zulu parade.

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This year's Zulu Grand Marshall: Spike Lee.

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Some of the other things that were thrown from the floats.

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Kat and Ian, after Zulu, with many more beads than we started with.

This page last updated: 11 Mar, 2003