Walking off the airplane and through New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong brought back memories from when I left back in mid-September. That day, everyone departing and arriving was either affiliated with an aid organization of some type — denoted by the vests they had on — or they were someone in the media. This time people were dressed like everyday people. A yougn woman wore sweatpants and looked like a grad school student, a man had on his cowboy hat and boots. It’s not back to normal by any means but people are trying.
I drove in and checked in at The Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon street where CNN puts up new arrivals (it was basically the only hotel open in the city right after the storm and they really treated us well there). I’m here for a week and curious as to what life is like here now.
Monday morning I make my way to what is our temporary bureau on Prytania street. I get in early because I hate getting in late, I always feel like I’m trying to catch up all day even if it’s slow. I check in and the assignment manager tells me we need to go shoot the free medical clinic at the zoo. I volunteer because I want to get out in the city as much as I can.
We got to the site and there was a long line of people waiting to register to be seen. They had just cut off the line by 1045 am because they had reached their maximum capacity, 1,000 patients.
We start shooting and literally in front of the pacing black bears in their pen there are dozens of dentist chairs filled with people getting their teeth checked. Beyond the elephant house was the makeshift women’s clinic in three large buses. It was an interesting shoot to say the least and good to see that, at least for a week, people here in New Orleans could get some care. After about an hour of touring the zoo we headed back to the bureau and started setting up shoots for later in the week.
We got out early which is unusual because we usually do a piece for the 10pm show and have to stay later. Needless to say, I’m not crazy about the schedule. I took advantage of it though and went running in the “state of the art” gym which is the size of my hotel bathroom. Later on I met up with the guys and went to a bar named Molly’s at the market in the French Quarter. A great bar but quite empty though it was a Monday night.