Book Review: Origin by Dan Brown

I just finished reading the 5th book in the Robert Langdon Series, Origin by Dan Brown. As per usual the book was quite an exhilarating page turner filled with great academic insight. This time the book is set in Spain, which I thought was a nice break from the usual Italian settings. Book 1 Angels and Demons was set in Rome, Book 2 The Da Vinci Code was set in Paris and Rome, Book 3 The Lost Symbol was set in Washington DC, and Book 4 Inferno was set in Florence and Venice. This book was loaded with Spanish history, art, and culture, a topic I hope to dive deeper into someday. 

However I would say this book was more of a philosophical premise rather then a dive into Spanish art history. In Brown's past books, Professor Langdon is usually solving mysteries that pertain to the art of it's location. For example Freemasonry symbols in Washington DC or the many Renaissance artworks in Italy. While Langdon does visit some iconic Spanish architecture and paintings, I would say the location is more of a supporting backdrop than the primary focus of the book. Of all Brown's books this one is by far the more philosophical and scientific. After all as the title suggests it dives into the mysterious topic of cosmogony. 

The Premise

Professor Robert Langdon is welcomed to a special event in Bilbao, Spain by one of his former students Edmond Kirsh. The event is located at the modern Guggenheim Art Museum where Kirsh, a futurist and business mogul, plans to make a groundbreaking scientific revelation. Upon his arrival Prof Langdon is given a private tour of the museum by an artificial intelligence system named Winston. Before the big presentation Kirsh meets with Langdon in a backroom, to seek some counsel. Kirsh explains to Langdon that he has discovered humanity's greatest mysteries, where we come from and where we are going. He is also afraid that his discovery will upset all religions. 

After much build-up Edmond Kirsh finally gives his presentation with nearly 2 million online viewers streaming the event live across the world. The presentation is loaded with theatrics as Kirsh begins with the history of philosophy and society. However before he can get to his big reveal, he is shot and killed from behind by Luis Avila. We later discover that Avila is a former Spanish admiral and member of the controversial Palmerian Catholic Church. It is implied that Avila was simply carrying out the orders from their church and he is able to escape from the museum. 

However as usual Robert Langdon is left at the scene of the crime and quickly charged by the royal security guard in the building. As usual in Dan Brown books however he is aided by an attractive and intelligent female counterpart, this time the museum's director Ambra Vidal. Upon witnessing the murder, Ambra is in a state of distress as she is to be wedded to Prince Julian, the son of the king. She realizes that she unknowingly allowed the entry of the assassin into the building and is overcome with great guilt. Ambra is able to quickly befriend Robert Langdon and convince him that they can still reveal Kirsh's presentation. So together they are able to escape the museum from police custody and once again Langdon must solve a mystery while on the run from the cops. 

Prof Langdon and Ambra are aided by Kirsh's artificial intelligent computer named Winston who speaks to them via Kirsh's old phone. Winston explains to them that they can still reveal Kirsh's presentation that is stored on his mainframe computer. However they must unlock his password which Winston does not know. Ambra however believes it to be a line from a famous poem pertaining to science vs religion. Together they are able to catch a private flight from Bilbao to Barcelona to visit Kirsh's house. It happens to be located on the top floor of the famous Casa Mila, built by Spain's most famous architect Antoni Gaudi. 

The house is of course loaded with art and a library of literature, and while searching for this book of poetry Prof Langdon discovers that Edmond Kirsh was dying from cancer. Prof Langdon discovers that Kirsh owns an original book of William Blake, famous for his prophetic art and poetry. The only catch however is that the book is not in the Casa Mila however on loan at the church of the Sagrada Familia. Of course Dan Brown was not going to write a story set in Spain without including it's most iconic building of the Sagrada Familia. 

As they escape the cops from Casas Mila, Ambra drops Kirsch's phone which breaks and ends their communication with Winston. However Langdon and Ambra are able to get to the Sagrada Familia and visit this display of Blake's complete works. Down in the basement of the building the book is opened on a specific page that reveals Blake's Four Zoas, and the iconic illustration of Urizen in the Ancient of Days. Upon the page Langdon discovers the phrase they are looking for, "The dark religions are departed and sweet science reigns". However upon this discovery they hear gunshots, which happen to be from the assassin Avila who has located them at the basilica. Prof Langdon and Ambra run up into the rafters where Langdon is able to fight off Avila in a scuffle and send him plummeting to his death. 

Langdon and Ambra are able to once again escape the police by mounting a helicopter from the top of Sagrada Familia. They are escorted by the royal guard who believe Langdon and Ambra to be innocent and taken to Kirsch's scientific laboratory at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. Inside the building they are once again reunited with Winston who convinces them to wait 15 minutes to spread the news to the world. Since the murder of Kirsch was captured on live television the story has already amassed world attention. By the time Langdon enters Kirsch's password to start the presentation there are nearly 250 million people watching the live stream. 

I was quite satisfied in this book that Dan Brown actually had a philosophic theory to reveal rather then use it as an anticipatory driving factor. I half expected that there would be no big reveal and it was all just some twisted scheme to denounce religion. In the presentation Kirsch explains the Miller-Urey experiment of 1952 that recreated Earth's natural elements of oxygen, water, light, and gases to create amino acids. Kirsch used technological data to speed up the process some thousand of years to reveal that these elements alone could produce and evolve into life as we know it. He describes the science of  entropy, which is a natural disorder of the universe, where life can sustain free energy from. 

Kirsch's 2nd big reveal is where we are going, and once again uses his computing analysis to fast forward the evolutionary timeline. He essentially declares that in 50 years the majority of humanity will be cyborgs, a complete unification of biology and technology. As expected this revelation of course causes a stir of debate throughout the world but no immediate repercussions come from it. In achieving their goal, Langdon and Ambra feel gratified they were able to share Edmond's discovery. Upon discussing the discovery Langdon points out the obvious that it still doesn't answer the source of life's energy. Langdon and Ambra then part ways and she returns to her fiancé prince Julian who has now become king of Spain with the death of his father. 

At the closing of the book, Langdon speaks one last time with Kirsh's artificial intelligent system Winston. Langdon is shocked to discover that Winston will delete himself momentarily now that Kirsh's discovery has been revealed to the world. Furthermore Winston reveals that he plotted the deaths of various religious leaders who opposed the scientific revelation, and also that it was he who convinced Avila to assassinate Kirsch, not the Palmerian Church. Winston describes that he was doing everything in loyalty to his master Kirsch, who was going to die soon anyway due to his cancer. Feeling conflicted with this wicked system, Prof Langdon destroys the machine on a rock then he visits the Sagrada Familia once again. He is left with hope in the unity of religious faith. 

My Thoughts on Cosmogony

About ten years ago I was in a major scientific phase and dove deep into the studies of astrophysics, cosmogony, and cosmology. See Studies of Cosmogony, Studies of Astronomy, Studies of Modern Physics. I can hardly begin to understand the complexities of these sciences but at least came to understand some of the many structures in our vast universe. Science has actually made great discoveries in better understanding how this universe actually works. There is no doubt a law of physics at work explained by scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Albert Einstein. And with modern technology these scientific discoveries can only continue to uncover more mysteries.

However despite these theories of entropy, evolution, the big bang, and the expanding universe there is still no answer to the source of it all. I believe Darwin's evolution of life to no longer be a theory but rather a fact as to how lifeform evolved over millions of years. I believe it is quite likely that life was essentially started by a chemical reaction of gases. But what remains unknown is where did these gases come from. I don't believe in this endless notion of infinite time and space. Even if there is a scientific structure to everything in this universe there has to be a source that has created the structure. 

I have nothing against scientific discovery and consider creationism to be rather foolish. I encourage the unification of science, technology, and religion. I don't believe one religion is more right then another, only that it should be practiced as the ultimate means of faith and purpose. There are far too many mysteries in this university that science will never uncover. To believe there is no source of the universe, to life and afterlife is complete meaningless nihilism. Furthermore I think it utter pessimism to believe our spirit will cease to exist when we die. The only rational and optimistic explanation to the origins of the universe is a supreme deity who sought to create energy, purpose, and life.         

Book Review

Now back to the matter at hand, I think this is yet another great book from Dan Brown. It follows the usual Professor Langdon format, mixing an exhilarating mystery pertaining to academic art and history. As I mentioned before however this book deals a lot more with science then his previous books. In his books Dan Brown often pins science against religion, but this one by far takes that claim. It is clear that Brown put a lot of research into this philosophical topic and provided some real good scientific insight. What was most satisfying is how he built this big scientific discovery and actually provided one of his own. Sure he mixed various theories together but his character of Edmond Kirsch was actually presenting a credible and original discovery by using computing analysis.

I think both of the scientific cases Brown makes in this book are quite legitimate. I would say the first case is probably not as surprising that life was discovered to be created from natural elements and disorder. But the second case is the more intriguing for me, where the futurist predicts society will merge with technology. This is the stuff of science fiction where we often hear of robots and artificial intelligence coexisting or even taking over humanity. I think it's quite realistic to consider modern smart technologies that are everywhere. Furthermore there are even medical technological advancements that can infuse into a human's biological structure to improve their health. This is no doubt the utter definition of a cyborg (part human/part machine).

While Dan Brown provides some great scientific insight in this book, I would argue that the plot is not as exhilarating as some of his previous Langdon books. In his previous books there were far better villains, shocking twists, and penultimate situations. I guess I did not feel as engaged with a scientific discovery as opposed to the release of a deadly virus in Inferno. I would also argue that there really isn't a proper villain in this book, compared to say Teabing, Camerlengo McKenna, Dr. Sienna Brooks, or especially Mal'akh from the Lost Symbol. I predicted from the onset that Bishop Valdespino was not the guilty culprit only because he was made out to be at the beginning. I had a good feeling all along that the AI character of Winston was behind it all, and was gone before there could be a proper confrontation. 

I think where I gave Dan Brown most praise in this book and all his other books, is his subtle favoring with religion over science. The basis of this book is loaded with great philosophical, scientific, and technological concepts and almost appears to be a celebration of those ideals. However in the end the main protagonist himself, the all knowing Robert Langdon confesses that while he believes in the mathematical laws of the universe he also believes there is a greater unknown force behind it all. Furthermore the books ends with Langdon not celebrating scientific discovery but rather recognizing human unity thru religious faith.   

Folklore Study: The Lost Cause of the Confederacy

Upon my recent trip to the Deep South, visiting New Orleans for the first time I was left with much reflection. There was of course the positive experience of a city rich with culture, jazz music, and Cajun cuisine. Then however there was the negative association considering this city was more-or-less established by slavery during the Southern Antebellum era that thrived off of cotton and sugar plantations. New Orleans later became a capital city of the Confederacy and a key battleground during the Civil War. 

So this leads me now to a recent curiosity pertaining to the Civil War. And that is in regards to the Southern Confederates ideology. I've always been quite fascinated how such extreme notions arise, such as that of Hitler's Nazi's. I by no means support their beliefs, only curious as to how they arrive to them. The Confederate South could easily be compared with the wickedness of the Nazi Germans. It is without question the South was in the wrong, and thankfully righteousness prevailed in the end. However I often believe it's good to understand both sides of an argument to acquire better wisdom. 

The Civil War was ultimately fought over slavery. The north felt it was an outdated, inhumane institution that should be abolished while the south considered it a vital means to their production and way of life. This American disagreement spanned over 50 years in the making, since the nation's birth in the 1790s. Many northern states such as Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Vermont abolished slavery as far back as the 1770s. However during the early 1800s the South was experiencing a golden age of agriculture much ado to their slave labor, working in the plantations. Wealthy southerners were able to influence the government for some time to essentially stay away from their culture. 

Many years after the Civil War, and into the age of Reconstruction a new perspective took shape in the South. It was a form of denial referred to as the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. It essentially glorified the period of the Antebellum South where men were chivalrous gentlemen, women were ladies, and slavery was for the betterment of the white and the black man. Thru this denial, the South was making the case that their struggle was not about slavery, yet rather about their way of life. To this day it has become the basis of modern day racism, where southern neo-nazis feel their heritage is at risk. Movies such as the Birth of a Nation, Gone with the Wind, Gettysburg, or Gods and Generals have glorified the lost Southern cause. I simply would like to highlight the key points of this ideology and some of it's influential material. 

Lost Cause Beliefs

There are quite a few tenets to this distorted ideology that I would like to summarize here. I would like to elaborate on each of their points from an unbiased historical analysis. While most of the points in this ideology are simply incorrect, I would like to provide some fact-checking with counter-arguments. I also will admit that some of their points might not be so far-fetched (such as the cruelty of Sherman's torch tactics and the carpetbaggers). However these minor points in their favor are still too insignificant to defend the utter wrong of slavery. So without further ado here are the beliefs of the Lost Cause ideology.

• 
  States should have the freedom to leave the Union just as they had the freedom to join the Union.
• Analysis: While I believe our country is quite unique from other nations when it comes to our separation of federal and state; the states are ultimately residents within the nation and therefore must adhere to the laws of the federal government. That is to say these states are essentially well defined territories that make up a sovereignty. Without the states there can be no country and therefore the federal laws will always trump the state laws. The United States of America is not a club of states where admission and withdrawal is optional.  
• The North waged this war not over slavery, but over economic aggression
• Analysis: There are some theories that believe the North had begun to fear the South's economic boom. These theorists feel the North's reasoning was not to free the slaves yet rather to regulate and eliminate their mass production thru slaves. Without slaves the South would not be as wealthy. The problem with this point is that Southern wealth was in no way bad for the nation. To attack the South's wealth would be no different than attacking the nation's wealth. Therefore this is a misconceived notion. 
• Slavery was a "positive good" for the Africans
• Analysis: This extremely racist notion ultimately pertained to southern white supremacy. They felt they were doing good by providing food and shelter to these Africans, thinking they were not capable to survive on their own in America. However this theory is simply incorrect when you consider the free African Americans living in the north for nearly 100 years to that point. While the southern slaves may have been uneducated it's very rare cases where they themselves would have preferred slavery over freedom. Certainly not the field slaves who were forced to work 18 hour days in the blistering sun (for minimal food and shelter). Definitely not a fair trade off at all. 
  
• The South valued chivalry and honor
  
• Analysis: I do believe that southern etiquette has a unique charming appeal to it, where it is encouraged to be a good Christian, a gentlemen, or a lady. But this is mostly the case for the wealthy aristocrats and certainty not for the common folk. And even so, there is nothing chivalrous about hanging or raping another human and considering them as your property.
• Southern Generals such as Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson were honorable men
• Analysis: There can be no question that the Confederacy had the better generals in the war. This is especially the case for Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson well renowned for their tactics and also the discipline of their armies. Robert E. Lee famously refused the offer to lead the federal army against his home state of Virginia. From the onset he accepted the more challenging option by leading a rebellion and that in itself is an honorable decision. But despite their admirable traits these generals still had their tactical shortcomings, and even more-so they were still fighting for an unjust cause.  
  
• Northern General Ulysses S. Grant, Philip Sheridan, and William Sherman were inhumane
• Analysis: The South felt that in contrast to their honorable leaders, the northern leaders were overly cruel and brutal. Gen Grant is often portrayed as an alcoholic by the Lost Cause. This case might have some merit in regards to Philip Sheridan's burning of the Shenandoah Valley or Sherman's march to the sea. Both of these Union generals used some inhumane scorched-earth tactics which not only targeted enemy soldiers, but also the civilian land. I believe this to be a negative fault of the Union, perhaps going too far to bring an end to something. This was certainly the case in WW2 where the US decided to drop a nuke bomb in order to bring a swift end to the conflict. 
  
• The Confederacy lost the war due to a lack of resources 
• Analysis: I actually think this one is very true. The South had the better generals and the morale on their side, but they did not have the logistical structure of the federal army. The Union army had far more resources and systematic supply lines then the South did. The Confederacy consisted of rag-tag rebels while the north had well trained soldiers with superior weapons and supplies.  
• During the Reconstruction the North had begun to take advantage of the South
• Analysis: Following the end of the Civil War and the dismantling of the Confederacy there was much reconstruction required in the south. Not only in regards to the ruined cities, roads, railways, and fields but more so it's social, economic, and political structure. This brought on the Southern derogatory terms of carpetbaggers and scalawags to describe northern businessmen or sympathizers who were seeking fortune in a chaotic state. There can be no denying this case, and I believe it favors the north. Reconstruction (or cultural-economic-realignment) was a necessary means by the North to avoid any further civil conflicts.  

Lost Cause Media

This notion of the Confederate Lost Cause emerged almost immediately after the ceasefire of the Civil War. Quite naturally the defeated leaders, generals, elected officials, and other prominent figures came up with excuses to defend their honor. Former Confederate president Jefferson Davis published his own political manifesto in 1881 titled the Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government which essentially outlined the Confederate's ideology and their Lost Cause. No person was as influential to the Lost Cause ideals then the author Thomas Dixon who wrote a controversial trilogy pertaining to the Reconstruction. 

Organizations such as the United Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy were in the 1890s to honor this lost cause that they died for. While other more extreme organizations such as Nathan Bedford Forest's Ku Klux Klan encouraged violence as a means of revenge. Throughout much of the Reconstruction Era (late 1800s to early 1900s) many other writers, artists, sculptors, and even filmmakers made many contributions to commemorate the southern lost cause. However by the 1960s this ideology was squashed even more with the Civil Rights Movement. To this day there are still many racist organizations who defend this mythical creed, but thankfully the Antebellum South has mostly transformed into a modern New South. 

• Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (1881)
• This political manifesto written by the former Confederate President Jefferson Davis essentially outlined the history of the Confederacy. It was written as an attempt to defend his Southern beliefs and the principles they fought for. In this book he outlined the common tenants of their defeat which made up most of the Lost Cause Ideology. The book was received with mixed criticism however still a popular seller in the South. 
• The Leopards Spots: A Romance of the White Man's Burden (1902)
• In the first part of his Reconstruction Trilogy the author Thomas Dixon is making the case that despite their freedom the African American race cannot change their inferior qualities. He also criticizes northern carpetbaggers and glorifies the Ku Klux Klan as heroes defending the wicked. It is a very racist book yet popular among the Southern Lost Cause. 
• The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan (1905)
• In the second part of his Reconstruction Trilogy Dixon dives deeper into the wicked KKK. He once again makes them out to be heroes fighting against criminal freed slaves. This was the most popular of his books that was later adapted into an even more popular film, The Birth of a Nation. The book is once again very racist and inaccurate about the qualities of the KKK members and the freed slaves. 
• The Traitor: A Story of the Fall of the Invisible Empire (1907)
• 
  The third part of Dixon's Reconstruction Trilogy once again pertains to the KKK and brings an end to their organization. He makes the case that they have completed their goal  against black power, however the book ends with the formation of a second Klan. It's clear that Dixon's motives were to glorify the first Klan that lasted from 1865-1872 and encourage the formation of a second Klan that eventually did happen in 1915. 
• The Birth of a Nation (1915)
• One of the most famous and successful films of it's time, director DW Griffith adapted Dixon's novel of the Clansman to the big screen. Despite it's very racial theme, the film was groundbreaking in many techniques such as a musical score, close-ups, fade-outs, and epic large scale battles. It was the first film ever to be presented in the White House viewed by President Woodrow Wilson. Despite it's cinematic achievements for it's time it is to this day considered one of the most racist films of all time. 
• Gone with the Wind (1936)
  
• This novel written by Margaret Mitchell is yet another prime example of the Lost Cause sentiment. While the romantic story and it's characters are actually quite enthralling the underlying themes are laced with southern resentment. Mitchell depicts slaves as happy with their condition, the Union Army as ruthless invaders notably during Sherman's March, and the corruption of the northern carpetbaggers during the Reconstruction Age. Once again it is a very well written book but no doubt is a favorite for Lost Cause Idealists. 
• Gone with the Wind (1939)
• The film adaptation of Mitchell's novel directed by Victor Fleming was equally as significant as the book. The film was a sweeping epic for it's time and to this day is considered one of the greatest films ever made. It stars the beautiful Vivian Leigh in the title role of Scarlett O'hara alongside the dashing Clark Cable. It went on to receive 13 Academy Awards nominations and won 10 including best picture and best lead actress. The film is an iconic Hollywood movie and after inflation is still the highest grossing film of all time. 
• Song of the South (1946)
• 
  This controversial animated/live film by Disney essentially glorifies the Southern Antebellum period. It displays freed African Americans such as the lead character Uncle Remus as dimwitted and still subservient to their white neighbors. It is one of the only Disney films not to be released on home video or their streaming platform. 
• Gettysburg (1994)
  
• This epic Civil War film attempts to portray an unbiased dramatic account of the Battle of Gettysburg. It does this by telling stories from both sides yet in my opinion there is more time, depth, and quality focused on the Confederacy's perspective. The character of Robert E. Lee is portrayed honorably by Martin Sheen, while his right hand man Gen Longstreet is portrayed by Tom Berenger. The film demonstrates the doubt Gen Longstreet had in Gen Lee's tactical plan. Many Lost Cause believers, feel Gen Longstreet was to blame for the significant loss at Gettysburg that turned the tide against the Confederate Army. 
• Gods and Generals (2003)
• This film once again glorifies the Confederate generals of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Both men are portrayed as honorable men, not focusing on their ideals but more so their chivalrous character and tactical fortitude. The film is a classic example of a misconstrued interpretation held by the Lost Cause in that these Southern states were fighting for their freedom instead of for slavery.  

New Orleans Trip 2022

This past weekend I knocked another city off my bucket list by visiting New Orleans for the first time. It's a city rich with history and culture and one of the few cities in America I had yet to visit. Luckily I was able to tag along with my mom's work conference and got to stay at a very nice luxurious hotel for free. I flew out with my dad from Chicago and there we met up with my mom and Jackie. It was three days of exploration, relaxation, good food, good drinking, and good times. 

The first thought that comes to mind when I think New Orleans is the Cajun food, the jazz music, and the iconic Bourbon street. All of these things lived up to their expectation, and are what made the city so incredible unique. It's a very old city that was founded by the French in 1718, and much of it's architecture, buildings, street names, and culture reflect French heritage. The city was later inherited by the Spanish Empire from 1763-1802 and thus made for a cultural fusion of Spanish/French/and slaves from the Caribbean islands. The city was once again returned to the French under Napoleon in 1802, and then finally sold off to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. 

In 1815 the British led a military campaign against the Gulf Coast, however were repelled by Gen Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. From that point on the southern American city became a booming seaport of trade, much of which was agriculture. The state of Louisiana had begun to thrive off of sugar and cotton plantations, and New Orleans became a key trading point. With the trade of agriculture also came the trade of slavery and Louisiana was very reliant on their plantation slaves as a means of production. They were one of the original confederate states during the Civil War that were defeated in 1865. From that point on Louisiana has done away with slavery and have adjusted to the modern times. 

Our Trip

My dad arrived Wednesday evening and we got some Burger King for dinner. We decided to watch the movie Gettysburg to take on some southern history and culture, and surprisingly we stayed up for the entire 4 hour film. That morning we woke up early around 5am to drive my car to Chicago. I once again planned to park my car at the nearby O'hare Best Western lot. We hit some terrible traffic coming out of Indy and then of course coming into Chicago. I was also surprised to find that the hotel we arrived at was different then the one I was planning. It was 20 minutes away from the airport. Thankfully we were still on target and aside from an additional Uber fee, we got to our airport gate with time to spare. 

We flew from Chicago at 11:30pm on Spirit Airlines and arrived to New Orleans around 1:30pm. There we met mom and Jackie who had arrived shortly before us, and were able to get us an Uber on the company dollar. Our Uber driver was a very chatty woman and a proud Louisianan. She gave us some insights and tips on places to see and where to eat. We arrived at the luxurious Omni hotel by around 4pm. I remember my first impression of setting foot outside in Louisiana was the weather being very hot and humid. We spent maybe an hour resting, then set out to explore our surroundings. L
uckily the hotel was right downtown, off of St. Louis and Chartres street and in the middle of everything. 

Our first stop that evening was to the iconic Cafe Du Monde which specialized in the beignets. These were basically fried dough laced with powdered sugar. I thought they were very tasty but my mom was very disappointed with them. The streets were loaded with pedestrian and tourists and there were many street performers and musicians. Near the Cafe du Monde was the beautiful Saint Louis Cathedral and to the south was the mighty Mississippi River. After we had our beignets we continued to explore and look for somewhere to get a late lunch. We walked around the French Market for a little bit and my mom eventually decided to eat at the fried chicken franchise of Willies. 

Our timing was perfect because as soon as we entered Willie's it began to heavily downpour. I ordered a bowl of jambalaya (spicy rice and chicken) with 2 beers. My parents and Jackie ordered some fried chicken and fries, and I of course helped them finish. After this we went back to the hotel around 6pm, where my mom had to prepare for an evening conference. At this point my dad and I decided to take a dip in the pool which was located on the roof of the building. It was a great view of the city and the water was the perfect temperature, not too hot not too cold. After this we showered up and planned to explore the city at night. Jackie joined us since she did not have to attend the evening work conference with my mom. 

The three of us walked to Bourbon street which was only a couple blocks north of our hotel. This was quite the sight to behold unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It was packed with pedestrians, performers, and drunken/high chaos. It was unlike any bar strip I've seen before, where it was almost shoulder to shoulder up and down the street blocks. On both sides of the strips were various bars, restaurants, and shops catering to some form of entertainment. On the streets were musicians, jugglers, dancers, snake-handlers, preachers, hobos, and many other forms of sideshows. It was ten times crazier then other iconic night strips such as Las Vegas or Nashville. 

Our first stop that night was at a French jazz club, which played some great classic jazz. It consisted of a trumpet player, guitar player, bass, and piano. I treated us to the first round there. After this we watched an outdoor juggler who got my dad to help him with his stunt. After that we found a nice outdoor bar and watched some more live jazz and blues. This time the band consisted of a keyboardist, trombone lead, and percussionist. The lead singing female trombonist was a very raggedy woman but a great performer. My dad was getting pretty juiced up and got chatty with the band. We were all having a good time at this point, and it was so nice to be able to walk up and down the strip with our drinks.  

We were all getting hungry after the 2nd bar and decided to look for somewhere to get a small snack. We stopped in at the fancy Red Fish Grill restaurant. My dad and I ordered a very tasty cup of seafood gumbo while Jackie ordered a cup of broccoli soup. After this we went and picked up my mom from the hotel then returned to Bourbon street. We once again
walked up and down the strip but I don't believe we made anymore stops that night. We came in around midnight and finished off the leftovers from Willies and Cafe du Monde. 

The next morning on Friday my dad and I got to sleep in a little, while Jackie and mom had to go to their work function. By around 9am we left the hotel to get some breakfast and further explore the city. We got some breakfast at a place nearby called Johnny's PoBoys. I ordered bacon, eggs, and grits (I was not all the impressed with the grits). After this we explored the French Market, including a canopy of souvenir shops. It was pretty cool to see the city during the day, deeper into the neighborhoods with less tourism. My dad mentioned the similarity with a Latin American place which I agreed with due to its architecture, climate, colorful buildings, and many plants and palm trees. We walked as far north as Rampart street into the Louis Armstrong Park. We walked a total of 4 miles by the time we got back to the hotel. 

That afternoon we went to the hotel pool once again and my dad got us a round of drinks. It was very nice to swim and I even got to relax and read a few chapters in my book. Mom and Jackie returned to the hotel from their work functions by around 2pm, and we decided to get a late lunch. We ate at a very tasty restaurant and ordered some fried calamari, po-boy, and muffuletta sandwiches. The muffuletta sandwiches were my favorite, loaded with oil and olives. After this we went back to the hotel and got our Uber to take us to our swamp tour. The Uber driver was a black guy named Tyrone and was very chatty. He kind of reminded me of Bubba Gump, when he went on about the many ways to cook the fish he caught. He eventually got us to our destination after a 30 minute drive south of New Orleans. 

Our swamp tour was in the city of Marrero and consisted of a pontoon trip through the swamps. We got to see alligators in their natural habitat which was very cool. I was however a little on edge with all the children on the boat running around, afraid if they fell in one of us would have to dive in after them. The captain had a very good sense of humor and told us he wasn't a captain that would go down with the ship, but would be the first one off. He showed us many alligators and even a surprising poisonous spider. The tour was very enjoyable and worth every penny. We then caught an Uber back with a driver named Kevin, who was just as chatty as our last driver. He was very into sports yet also full of BS and said he knew Marshall Faulk. We got back to the hotel by around 7pm. 

That evening we returned to Cafe Du Monde to give them a 2nd shot. I bought us all another round of beignets and coffee, and thought they were just as good as before. However my mom was once again very disappointed with them. My dad was more disappointed with the street entertainment which consisted of two amateur hobos singing karaoke. For dinner we found a seafood place and I once again ordered some gumbo soup and we shared a plate of barbecue shrimp. It was a very tasty meal but I remember my mom and Jackie were annoyed by the waitress. 

After dinner we returned to Bourbon street and made our way into the Maison Jazz Preservation bar. Here we witnessed a very entertaining act of a black guy playing his saxophone yet also speaking gibberish. He was accompanied by a dancing Asian woman, and a white pianist, percussionist, and bassist. My dad later explained this was the jazz-scat genre, which consisted of vocal improvisation and utter nonsense and gibberish. The lead musician never stopped talking during the songs and in-between often going on about his wacky cousin Billie and catching a train. The Asian dancer at his side was just as entertaining with her very expressive renditions of the jitterbug and charlatan style. 

After a couple rounds and many songs from this band we continued to walk the entertaining Bourbon strip. My mom decided she wanted to hold a massive python snake for several minutes. She was having a good time and I could tell she really enjoyed New Orleans. We then decided to explore an alley which happened to be a salsa dance party. We danced for a little bit here then continued walking to the end of the strip. We watched the brass section play several songs in the streets and was cool to see the gathering they had as well as people dancing in the streets to their jiving music. The whole thing was such a surreal sight to see. It was as if we had entered a new domain that celebrated sin and pleasure, a real present day Sodom and Gomorrah. I had to laugh at the irony of it all and could not deny that I myself was having a good time. 

The next Saturday morning my dad and I got some breakfast off of Decatur Street at a spot called Toast. I had some very tasty French toast and bacon. After this we walked back to the French Market district where i bought some souvenirs. This included a t-shirt, magnet, and a mini alligator replica. My dad also bought a t-shirt. After this we went back to the hotel by around 10 and got a quick dip in the pool. Jackie and mom were able to cut out of their work schedule early and we planned to visit a plantation that day. We caught a bus from downtown, which took us on an hour drive to the Oak Alley Plantation, which was about 40 miles west of the city. The plantation is one of the more iconic sites near New Orleans, best known for the movie Interview with a Vampire. 

It was quite surreal to be at the site of a real slave plantation and we first got to tour the slave quarters. These were very small cabins that got even worse depending if the slave was a house slave or a field slave. We then got a 30-min tour of the mansion and the history of it's owners. Some of the furniture in the building was authentic items dated over 200 years old. The plantation was surrounded by beautiful massive Oak Trees that made for some very impressive alleyways. We spent about 2 hours touring the plantation and then got back on the bus to return home. 

I was pushing for a steamboat tour on the Mississippi river that evening but unfortunately the tickets sold out. However I did some more research and was able to discover about a hopping district known as Frenchmen street. I was also able to navigate us to the iconic fern buildings along Royal Street. The strip was nowhere near as busy as Bourbon street, and had a more artsy-hippie vibe to it. We got all the way to the end of the strip when we settled for some fried seafood at a bar joint. I was afraid the food would be unsatisfactory for my mom but we were actually very surprised by the experience. 

I ordered some incredible shrimp/crawfish bisque and alligator filet sandwich. My dad ordered some more gumbo with a crawfish pie. My mom ordered some very tasty gator balls and salad. And Jackie ordered a muffuletta. We all agreed it was the most tasty food of our trip. Mom, dad, and Jackie all ordered a Hurricane drink and I ordered a beer. It was a very good feast and I'm glad we were able to enjoy ourselves. After this we began barhopping. We first started at a blues bar where my dad bought us a round. The blues band was good but I thought they were too loud. Jackie and mom ordered some more Hurricane drinks which were extremely potent. We stayed for several songs then went on to the next place. 

I really wanted to drop in on some live French jazz, but unfortunately the place was at max capacity and we needed reservations. Jackie and mom decided to do some market shopping and bought some earrings. We then decided to walk back to Bourbon Street with drinks in our hands. On the way there my dad chatted up with a Dixieland band, and my mom had to move him along. We decided to take a break at the hotel real fast since it was a long walk but not for long. We then carried on to Bourbon street with intentions to return to Maison. We had all hoped we would see the same Scat Jazz performer but unfortunately it was a different group.

I bought us a round of drinks at the Maison Preservation Bar, and we had front row seats at the performers. The group this time was not the scat performer, but a fairly entertaining jazz band. They consisted of a lead singer/trumpeter, clarinetist, pianist, percussionist, and bassist. They were okay but I got the impression they were too chill and stoned out of their minds. We caught a few songs there then kept walking up-and-down Bourbon street. My dad was especially wasted at this point and wobbling in the streets. I think at one point he may of bumped into my mom and she fell on the ground. She was alright though. We watched the brass band again for a little bit but unfortunately they were missing some key players. 

I then led us on a mission to return to the European Jazz club we experienced on Thursday. The place was quite packed but luckily we were able to find some seats right at the front row. The band was very sharp and looked like a bunch of older school teachers or professors. I would wager to say this was the best live music we experienced all weekend. It was such a great environment, tightly packed with people enjoying sophisticated music. I was even bold enough to make a request, "Stomping at the Savoy". The reaction was great and warmly received by the musicians and they actually closed their set with my song request. I was so happy I gave them a standing ovation. 

After this we started to head home and I treated us all to a slice of pizza. I realized at this point tho that I had misplaced my debit card somewhere and had to cancel it. Nonetheless all was good and it was a very enjoyable night in New Orleans. My dad and I woke up early Sunday morning at 5am and caught an Uber to the airport. We were surprised to see as we drove by Bourbon Street, people were still out partying. We were both a little hungover that morning but made it to our gate with plenty of time. The drive home from Chicago wasn't all that bad, and we had some McDonalds for lunch. We made it back to Indy by around 4pm and I was very happy to be home again. It was yet another very memorably family trip.