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I got up early for another cemetery tour. This one was very much a mixed bag. It left from a historical train station turned museum with displays of things from Pullman trains like dishware. It was the only way into the oldest still existing cemetery in the city. And... behold the crypt of Nicolas Cage:
While I was there I heard three very different stories as to why he has a pre-arranged crypt in one of the most important historical cemeteries in the US and also a very spendy one to secure space in. I don't know if any of them are true. But, I was told very specifically that he is still alive and is not some sort of undead creature that needs to rest in his native New Orleans soil. Let me tell you that locals are not shy about calling him a nepo baby who tried to hide it with his stage name, though.
The X marks in groups of 3 are part of a ritual prayer to Marie Laveau, but we were assured that wasn't her crypt, the one in the photo below 'logically has to be' because her husband was buried there.
Note some markings on this crypt, but fewer.
(If I could have gotten just a liiiitle wider on that bulging crypt door with the metal cross it would have been amazing, but tightly packed tour group)
The bad: It was about forty minutes instead of an hour, the tour guide kept going on about January 6th and never connected it to the cemetery despite claims that he was being on topic. Then he hassled me on the way back about me not tipping him. He kept being all 'Don't you have any gratuity, I mean gratitude, for the knowledge I just shared?' and I was all 'Oh, I'm sorry, thank you so very much!' I just refused to acknowledge why he was up my ass.
New Orleans has 'tipped minimum wage', which means that people with jobs that get tips can be paid as little as $2.13 an hour. I brought a LOT of cash with me for housekeepers, servers, bartenders, buskers, tour guides, etc. But I am not fucking tipping a MAGA panderer. He rolled the dice that MAGA pandering would increase his wallet and, that probably does pay off more often than not.
Coming from Portland were we don't allow that exception to minimum wage and also our food scene is centered around counter service, this was a huge swing from what I was used to. I was expecting to be dropping cash a lot, but also I have standards.
After that, I took the streetcar out to the Cemetery District. 'To Cemeteries' is a direction in NOLA, which is amazing to me. There is a Cemetery transit center.
I spent a lot time in the first one I saw with an open gate. It was over 90°, no place to sit, almost no shade, the sun was brutal and the humidity was medium, but enough to have an effect. I kept walking until I was just tired, dehydrated and hungry.
So, I called a ride to the Vampire Cafe, the one place that can handle my special diet. And yes, I said that to the driver. She was fun.
For those keeping track: the Vampire Cafe, Apothecary the vampire bar, Potions the 'real vampire bar' and The Dungeon are all different places. The first 3 all have the same ownership. The Dungeon is listed online as a vampire bar, but as far as I could tell it wasn't, but more on that later.
The Vampire Cafe was all old brick and iron work and had a nice bar. I had a plate of raw fish and a lot of water. The bartender was lovely, and again very attentive to my food restrictions. Behind the bar some guys were making up big batches of the cocktails to go in the blood bags for that night, and were talking Elden Ring strategies while they did so. Yeah, the vibes were amazing. At the Boutique du Vampire owned places I felt most relaxed and at ease I've felt at bars.
Then it was dark enough for the journey I had planned for that night. I'd seen something on a tour bus the other day and I needed to go back for the shot. I hopped on a street car and headed out.
Waffle Houses have a weird, liminal space in American culture for a number of reasons, including The Waffle House Index. It would take a while to explain if you aren't up on Waffle House lore, but when I looked over and saw this in the darkness I was just like, I need it.
Then, I went back to The French Quarter. I'd heard mixed things about whether The Dungeon was a cool bar or not, but hey, nothing ventured?
That corridor opens up into a strange area with high windows, a coffin and a bouncer. He looked me up and down and said that they have a no photos policy and take it seriously. I said no problem and he opened the door to a long staircase down. That lead to a very narrow bar with fake stone walls, but nicely done fake stone, and lots of bats and potion bottles and things. The bartender was great, the crowd friendly. I'd have hung out for a while, but I am a light weight and don't want to stay too long on only one drink. So, I headed out and went to bed.
While I was there I heard three very different stories as to why he has a pre-arranged crypt in one of the most important historical cemeteries in the US and also a very spendy one to secure space in. I don't know if any of them are true. But, I was told very specifically that he is still alive and is not some sort of undead creature that needs to rest in his native New Orleans soil. Let me tell you that locals are not shy about calling him a nepo baby who tried to hide it with his stage name, though.
The X marks in groups of 3 are part of a ritual prayer to Marie Laveau, but we were assured that wasn't her crypt, the one in the photo below 'logically has to be' because her husband was buried there.
Note some markings on this crypt, but fewer.
(If I could have gotten just a liiiitle wider on that bulging crypt door with the metal cross it would have been amazing, but tightly packed tour group)
The bad: It was about forty minutes instead of an hour, the tour guide kept going on about January 6th and never connected it to the cemetery despite claims that he was being on topic. Then he hassled me on the way back about me not tipping him. He kept being all 'Don't you have any gratuity, I mean gratitude, for the knowledge I just shared?' and I was all 'Oh, I'm sorry, thank you so very much!' I just refused to acknowledge why he was up my ass.
New Orleans has 'tipped minimum wage', which means that people with jobs that get tips can be paid as little as $2.13 an hour. I brought a LOT of cash with me for housekeepers, servers, bartenders, buskers, tour guides, etc. But I am not fucking tipping a MAGA panderer. He rolled the dice that MAGA pandering would increase his wallet and, that probably does pay off more often than not.
Coming from Portland were we don't allow that exception to minimum wage and also our food scene is centered around counter service, this was a huge swing from what I was used to. I was expecting to be dropping cash a lot, but also I have standards.
After that, I took the streetcar out to the Cemetery District. 'To Cemeteries' is a direction in NOLA, which is amazing to me. There is a Cemetery transit center.
I spent a lot time in the first one I saw with an open gate. It was over 90°, no place to sit, almost no shade, the sun was brutal and the humidity was medium, but enough to have an effect. I kept walking until I was just tired, dehydrated and hungry.
So, I called a ride to the Vampire Cafe, the one place that can handle my special diet. And yes, I said that to the driver. She was fun.
For those keeping track: the Vampire Cafe, Apothecary the vampire bar, Potions the 'real vampire bar' and The Dungeon are all different places. The first 3 all have the same ownership. The Dungeon is listed online as a vampire bar, but as far as I could tell it wasn't, but more on that later.
The Vampire Cafe was all old brick and iron work and had a nice bar. I had a plate of raw fish and a lot of water. The bartender was lovely, and again very attentive to my food restrictions. Behind the bar some guys were making up big batches of the cocktails to go in the blood bags for that night, and were talking Elden Ring strategies while they did so. Yeah, the vibes were amazing. At the Boutique du Vampire owned places I felt most relaxed and at ease I've felt at bars.
Then it was dark enough for the journey I had planned for that night. I'd seen something on a tour bus the other day and I needed to go back for the shot. I hopped on a street car and headed out.
Waffle Houses have a weird, liminal space in American culture for a number of reasons, including The Waffle House Index. It would take a while to explain if you aren't up on Waffle House lore, but when I looked over and saw this in the darkness I was just like, I need it.
Then, I went back to The French Quarter. I'd heard mixed things about whether The Dungeon was a cool bar or not, but hey, nothing ventured?
That corridor opens up into a strange area with high windows, a coffin and a bouncer. He looked me up and down and said that they have a no photos policy and take it seriously. I said no problem and he opened the door to a long staircase down. That lead to a very narrow bar with fake stone walls, but nicely done fake stone, and lots of bats and potion bottles and things. The bartender was great, the crowd friendly. I'd have hung out for a while, but I am a light weight and don't want to stay too long on only one drink. So, I headed out and went to bed.
That Waffle House pic certainly has a "Beacon in the Darkness" vibe
Date: 2024-10-22 12:18 am (UTC)From:I am glad you didn't tip him. He's basically racist, thinking that all white tourists are Magats.
Re: That Waffle House pic certainly has a "Beacon in the Darkness" vibe
Date: 2024-10-22 11:25 pm (UTC)From:I think my inner New Yorker has very strong opinions on tipping and when to not tip.
It's like that line out of ROPE by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Jimmy Stewart
Date: 2024-10-24 09:57 pm (UTC)From:In this instance - no, the man did not.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-22 10:33 am (UTC)From:I know nothing about Waffle House lore, but that shot is really cool and it also reminds me of one of my favourite tv shows, Dead Like Me - the main characters would meet up in a waffle House every day.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-22 11:29 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 04:22 am (UTC)From:"Cemetery transit center" sounds like a writing prompt.
Sucky about the MAGA pandering tour guide, and I'm real glad you stuck to not tipping him. What an ass.
I'm so glad the vampire bars were so good!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-27 05:28 am (UTC)From:Yeah, the Cemetery Transit Center and all the 'To Cemeteries' were fascinating to me.
Yeah, the joy of travel sometimes.