Cabildo and Pharmacy Museum Part 2

Both the Cabildo and the Pharmacy Museum were very interesting to visit. I feel like I gained a much deeper understanding of the history of New Orleans and even the deep south as a whole from visiting the Cabildo, also known as the Louisiana State Museum. I will be completely honest here and say that I did not know a thing about the Battle of New Orleans. In fact, I did not even realize that there was a Battle of New Orleans. I hope I am not the only one. So, the Cabildo was most definitely a learning experience for me. I also did not realize how much of an impact Andrew Jackson had on this community. One of the largest exhibits at the Cabildo was about Andrew Jackson. Not to mention Jackson Square, where there is a huge statue of Andrew Jackson on a horse tipping his hat.
New Orleans has been through so much through its history, and I believe that it has shaped the people that live here today. From the native Americans who first lived here, wars, French and Spanish takeovers, and multiple tragedies that have happened (two major fires, two major hurricanes, etc.), it has shaped the people who live here and the way they live. I hope the community realizes how interesting, and sometimes complicated, the history of their city is.

Andrew Jackson exhibit at the Cabildo.

As a nursing student, the Pharmacy Museum was probably the most interesting tour I have been on so far. The tour guide was also a factor in why I enjoyed the tour so much. He had a good sense of humor about the whole thing, and he was very informative about the devices and medicines used in the early days of pharmacies. I am interested in psychiatric/mental health nursing, so I found it so interesting and unbelievable that an accepted form of treatment for many mental illnesses was the use of cocaine. I understand why they used it, but it is still so shocking to me. As the tour guide said, in the future I am sure we will look back at the drugs and treatments we use today and wonder how we ever thought some of them were a good idea.
It seemed to me that everything early medical professionals thought would be a good idea turned out to be a terrible idea. Syringes were completely unhygienic due to the reuse of needles, and there was no way to take them apart to clean them. Also, on early forms of syringes the needle was very blunt or very unnecessarily long. To top it all off, some of made with lead. Pills that were bought by the wealthy were coated with gold or silver. The pills probably had no affect anyway, but if they did they would simply pass right through someone's system without dissolving due to the coating. What makes this especially interesting is the poor would go to nontraditional healers and the herbs they used would sometimes actually work, whereas the rich were just getting even sicker.
Overall, I learned many interesting facts about early medicine and I learned that the only way to figure out if something works is by trial and error. From the information given at the museum, you would think that the medical professionals who thought of some of those ideas were completely insane. But in reality their ideas were monumental in the formation of medical care that we have today.

Leeches used for bloodletting, which is still used in certain situations in healthcare.

Picture in the Pharmacy Museum

Cabildo and Pharmacy Museum

The Cabildo is one of the most beautiful buildings in New Orleans, and it is home to the Louisiana State Museum. It is situated in the heart of the French Quarter, in Jackson Square right next to the St. Louis Cathedral. It contains three floors, and each floor describes a different part of history of New Orleans and Louisiana in chronological order. The first floor of the Cabildo contains exhibits and artifacts from the very beginning of the state of Louisiana. It mostly focused on the indigenous population that lived in Louisiana prior to the arrival of the Europeans. It contains many artifacts that date back to the early 1700s and possibly even before. Another item on the first floor of the Cabildo is Napoleon's death mask. A mold of Napoleon's face was taken forty hours after his death, and this mold was used to cast a bronze mask.

Rosary from around 1700.

Napoleon's death mask.

The second floor of the museum focused on the Battle of New Orleans. There were various weapons on display, paintings, and most interesting was a frame containing a lock of Andrew Jackson's hair. Well, supposedly Andrew Jackson's hair. This floor also had a few interactive exhibits. This included lifting different cannonballs up to twenty-five pounds, a video about pirates, and becoming a part of art (this makes more sense in the picture below).

Me becoming a part of the art

Wall dedicated to Andrew Jackson

Possibly (but not likely) Andrew Jackson's hair

Lastly, the third floor of the Cabildo was dedicated to around the Civil War time period and a little before. This floor had a ton of information about life during that time period, especially concerning the life of slaves and slave trading. New Orleans and Louisiana had a huge market for slaves, therefore slaves were sold everywhere throughout the city.

Slave collar with bells. Some slaves would put mud in them to stop them from ringing.

Clothes and household items from the mid-1800s

The next stop of our day was the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. Upon arriving in this shop, I was instantly reminded of something straight out of Harry Potter. Labeled glass containers full of different colored substances lined the walls of the room. There was a slightly musty smell, and the room itself was dimly lit when I first walked in. The first licensed pharmacist in the United States worked out of New Orleans, and his name was Louis J. Dufilho. Getting this license required extensive training, and a three hour oral examination.
I started on the second floor of the pharmacy museum, where there was plenty on display. The exhibits upstairs included midwifery, early vaccinations, dental tools, ophthalmology, and the use of alcohol in medicine.

Early vaccinations

Medicines used in midwifery

On the first floor of the pharmacy museum we were given a guided tour. A ton of interesting information was given, and the tour guide had a lot of energy and passion for what he was talking about. Many practices in early medicine included lead, arsenic, cocaine, heroine, gold and silver coated pills, and horrible hygiene practices. All of this was evidenced by the many artifacts found buried in the courtyard of the pharmacy (this means they were actually used), and from items that  were transferred to the pharmacy from the old location.

January 5th Part Two

I keep mentioning Ireland in my blog posts, but it difficult not to because I see so many similarities between Dublin and New Orleans. Something that very much interests me between those two cities is the impact of religion. Catholicism is the most popular religion in New Orleans, as it is in Dublin, but New Orleans celebrates their beliefs in very different ways. Mardi Gras is based off of the Catholic calendar. That is beside the point I am trying to make, but still just something I have noticed. What I am trying to say is I can feel the sense of community in New Orleans because of religion. When I went into the St. Louis Chapel, I saw people praying and people constantly coming in to take pictures. It is a staple of New Orleans, and it is a church. Many of the more elaborate and beautiful buildings in New Orleans are there because of Catholicism. I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic school for nine years, confirmed in the seventh grade, and all the other rituals that pertain to the Catholic faith. I have since had a falling out with my faith, and I have not been to church in quite some time. Being in the St. Louis cathedral and the Old Ursuline Convent has somewhat made me miss that feeling of community with other Catholics. Being in New Orleans and seeing the massive influence of the French Catholics, Spanish Catholics, and others has caused me truly think about what I used to so deeply believe in.
It was very interesting to be in the St. Louis cathedral, with the detailed statue of Joan of Arc, the baptismal font that has been used for years, and the portrait of Pope John Paul II, and then walk out of the cathedral and immediately see tarot card readers, palm readers, and self-proclaimed psychics. On top of that, this is completely normal in this city. Strangely, I love it. New Orleans is a city that loves tradition, and the traditions here are different and out there to me. But that is what makes this city so great in my eyes. On one hand of New Orleans there is this rich and interesting history and more traditional, if you will. And on the other there are psychics, voodoo, street performers, and plenty of fascinating artists who are outside of the norm.

The St. Louis Cathedral is right to the left of "Little Fae Sway" who does readings and gives spiritual advice

Speaking of artists, I thoroughly enjoyed the art on Frenchmen Street. I wish art was as big a deal in Peoria as it is in New Orleans. I bought a small print for five dollars from a man who looked so happy that I was interested in his artwork. Having no artistic ability myself, I told him how much I liked it and I loved how different it was. I do not think I have ever seen someone look at me with so much appreciation in their smile and eyes before. I bought a print from him, and then I bought three more prints from another artist on Frenchmen.

"Harpoon Blooz" by Typfy Art. Don't ask me why I love it so much.

January 5th

It is difficult to choose my favorite experience from today, but if I had to choose one it would be the Old Ursuline Convent. The Ursuline nuns arrived by boat from France in 1727, and the convent is the oldest building in the Mississippi river valley. The tour started in the chapel connected to the convent, which was completed well after the convent was built. The church is known at St. Mary's church, but it was first called Our Lady of Victory. I found it to be just as beautiful as the St. Louis Cathedral. The Eucharist and the altar of the church are made of precious minerals such as gold, diamond, platinum, and others. Many, if not all, of these precious minerals were donated by the public. Today, it is estimated that the altar and the Eucharist are worth over five million dollars.

Another aspect of the church that makes it unique is the ceiling. In the 1970's they decided, for whatever reason, to drop the ceiling of the chapel. When that took place, they discovered the true ceiling of the cathedral. It is made of wood planks, and the actual paint and paintings are all preserved on it. The paint is not as vibrant as I am sure it once was, but it is still very well preserved for what it is worth. The tour guide told us that they believe is was kept in so well of shape due to the ceiling that was below it at one time.

All around the outer edge of the chapel there are statues of Italian saints. There are also stained glass windows that have surprisingly been kept in very good shape, except for one. Overall, the history of the chapel and the little details that were put into it make it very unique.

Next we went into the actual convent where the nuns stayed. In the entry way, there is a clock. It looks like any other large grandfather clock, but this clock was brought with the nuns from France in 1727. This means it dates back even further than when they arrived in New Orleans. What is most interesting about this clock is that it still works perfectly. It chimes on the hour and every quarter of an hour. The pendulum still swings, and the minute and hour hands work perfectly. The case for the clock is not original, but the clock itself is.

To the right of the clock, there is also a staircase. This staircase is a self-supporting winding staircase that was originally part of the 1734 convent. This staircase is the only self-supporting winding staircase left in an American colonial buildings. The railings on the staircase are also the only original ironwork left from French Colonial Louisiana. Someone from our group reached out to touch one of the bars on the staircase, and it moved quite a bit. You could tell it has been worn down over the years, but still very well preserved like the rest of the building.

The Ursuline nuns were a very cloistered group, and they mostly taught and took care of orphans. We were able to see the room where the orphans were fed. Also on display was a handmade vestment that was made by the nuns, and a statue that was brought over by the nuns in 1727. Another statue was sent to the convent much later from the original Ursuline convent in France.

Statue brought over by the nuns in 1727

Statue from the convent in France

Arrival Part 2

Everything is not always as it seems. That is the biggest lesson I learned from arriving in New Orleans and exploring on my first day. Upon first seeing the city from across Lake Pontchartrain, it looked like any other major city in the United States. All I could see from far away was the gray skyscrapers. When I arrived in the French Quarter I realized how wrong I was. It was the exact opposite of the typical major urban setting. As I mentioned in one of my first posts, when I thought of New Orleans I imagined Dublin, Ireland. I thought I would be very wrong in my assumptions, but as it turns out, I was not too far off. From what little I saw of the French Quarter I was reminded of Dublin is many ways. The streets are narrow, the buildings are different colors and they are also not very tall, and there are small shops and cafes everywhere.
The French Quarter gave me this intense feeling of wanting to explore every nook and cranny. It was almost as if there were hidden secrets just waiting to be discovered. I felt this way in Ireland, but I have not felt it again until now. This strange desire of mine was met during the historical ghost tour. I may have just walked right past the buildings that were mentioned on the tour, and I would have never known some of the happenings that went on there. Most of the buildings looked completely normal. Again, everything is not always as it seems.
I am in the process of trying to learn and understand the beliefs here in New Orleans. It seems to be more difficult than I thought because there are so many different cultures and people that are here today. For the most part I have learned that they value individuality, religion/spirituality, and family. That does not mean that everyone in New Orleans values these things, but those seem to be the most important that I have gathered so far.
In my assumptions about New Orleans, I speculated that New Orleans could not differ too much from Peoria because it is in the same country. I have learned that I am very wrong, and I learned this on the very first night. This is not a bad thing at all, in fact I believe that it is a good thing. While waiting for our table outside of Pierre Maspero's, I said that New Orleans feels like Disney World, except it is the real thing. The buildings are real and have historical significance. This city has been here for a very long time, and it is definitely not here just for show.

Supposedly haunted courtyard

LaLaurie House

Arrival Part 1

After what felt like an eternity, I have finally made it to New Orleans. The train station in New Orleans was slightly hectic at first. We all got off the train and immediately had to move out of the way of two luggage carriers honking at us. Our luggage was pulled off the train quickly though, and Edi called an Uber to come pick us up from the station. Honestly the whole process felt very fast, and I barely had time to truly take in my surroundings in the train station. I did notice that there were more people than there were at the train station in New Orleans. Our Uber driver arrived within a few minutes in a black cube-shaped car. On the drive to the hotel New Orleans looked like any other major city. Tall, gray buildings surrounded us, there were many cars and taxis, the sidewalks were crowded with people, and the people driving wanted to quickly get where they were going. On the way to the hotel, the driver missed the entrance at first. We had to loop around the building twice before finally finding the entrance to our hotel. At this point in my journey, New Orleans seemed to be like every other city I have been to. It was crowded, noisy, slightly dirty, and smelled like gas from the cars. The hotel we are staying at is called the Springhill Suites New Orleans Downtown. The room is very spacious, and it has a fridge, microwave, and desk. There is plenty of room for three girls to get ready in the morning.

Onto the more exciting event of the trip: the French Quarter. To start off, the streetcar to the French Quarter was not as I expected. I had imagined it running down the middle of the street, kind of like the cable cars in San Francisco. Instead, the streetcar has its own part in the city, and it feels like it is more to the outside of the city. It has been a great way to get around so far, especially with the Jazzy passes.  

The memory card in my camera wasn't inserted correctly, so the picture I took did not save.

The French Quarter is exactly what I pictured New Orleans to be. As soon as I got off the streetcar I saw the different colored buildings. They were also different sizes and not the usual size of major city buildings.

While walking down Decatur street I looked to my left and saw the St. Louis Cathedral for the first time. The sun had mostly set, but there was still a little light left that lit the sky behind the clouds. The cathedral was also lit up from the front, making the building really stand out.

After being briefly introduced to the French Quarter, we made our way to a restaurant named Pierre Maspero's. I was feeling very hungry,  and everything on the menu sounded delicious. I ended up ordering blackened chicken alfredo and caramel bread pudding for dessert. The blackened chicken alfredo was creamy and full of flavor. The bread pudding was some of the best bread pudding I have ever had. The bread was dense and warm, and the caramel sauce was perfect with the ice cream and whipped cream.

Departure

Thanks to my step-dad Jevan, we had finally arrived at the Amtrak station in Champaign. The car ride to the station was uneventful. Jevan, Karissa, and I chatted about the trip, ate at Taco Bell down the street from the station, and Karissa and I were dropped off. The Amtrak waiting area was nearly empty when we arrived, with the exception of our classmates and two older adults. The man had a long, gray beard, and he wore black slacks, a white shirt, and a hat with a wide rim. The woman wore a simple long, black dress with long sleeves, and a white bonnet covered the top and back of her head. Her head was bent over a thick book with yellowed pages. I looked up at them occasionally, and caught the man’s eyes once or twice. He watched us as well, and he smiled when a few of my classmates took a group photo together.

I have been on a train before, but always by myself. Boarding the train with twenty-two people was an entirely different experience. I was toward the back of our group, and by the time I got on the train it was a little chaotic. Multiple conductors were attempting to find seats for everyone so we could all sit together, but that did not happen at first. The last few of us kept moving forward, but we were then directed to move backward because there were no seats left by our group. I could feel myself thrown a little off balance because the train had started to move. My eyes were struggling to adjust to the sudden dimness of the train as I slowly walked toward the back. We found two available seats, but not even five minutes later we were told to move back up by our group. The conductors had moved some people around for us, and we were finally able to settle into our seats. I could feel sleepiness tugging at my eyelids, and a slight ache in my head was beginning to get worse. With the smell of some spicy food behind me, and the sound of a Pac-Man game starting up, I fell asleep.

I have never slept on a train before, and I fell in and out of sleep all night. It felt as though as soon as I found a comfortable position, I would wake up with a pain in my back, shoulder, etc. At around four in the morning I was suddenly awoken by seemingly nothing. It was eerily quiet. The only sounds I could hear were the wheels of the train scratching against the tracks, air coming into the car through the vents, and the muffled sound of a thumping bass through someone’s headphones.

This was also my first experience eating in the dining car on a train. It was nothing to brag about, a little pricey, but it was warm food which was nice. Karissa and I split a mini pepperoni pizza, and I got a Pepsi. My favorite part of the train ride has been the observation/lounge car. As I write this blog I am sitting at a table in this car. There are windows everywhere, and the sun has finally stopped hiding behind the clouds. It is very refreshing after being in a dark car for fourteen hours. 

Dining Car

Observation Car

Karissa and I's Gourmet Meal

Poster in the Observation Car

I remember the first time I took a train and saw Amish people on the train with me. I was confused and curious. Their lifestyle fascinates me, but I always got the feeling that they looked down on people like me. Or I got the feeling that I was doing something wrong in their eyes and I should be wearing a turtleneck and a long skirt that doesn’t show my ankles. I know that is most likely not the case, and that was proven to be true in some aspects in the Champaign train station. As the Amish man occasionally watched us have fun and just be college students about to embark on a trip, he smiled. This surprised me and shattered my stereotypes about the Amish. I have only ever seen Amish people look stern, and usually avoid eye contact. This older Amish man watched us, almost the completely opposite as him and what he believes in, and smiled. As with many occasions before this one, this taught me to be watchful about how I initially perceive people by what they look like, how they dress, etc.

As described before, boarding the train with a group of twenty-two people turned out to be much more chaotic than we thought it would be, and what it needed to be. I felt so stressed and anxious just trying to find a seat. It was made worse by the fact that there seemed to be so many people, it was dark, and the train had already started moving. When I made it to my seat by the rest of the group, I felt much better. All that stress and worry was for nothing. 

I had trouble falling asleep at first, and when that happens my mind tends to drift to oftentimes bad places. My mom was texting me, and I felt a sudden sadness from being away from home. I know, twenty-one years old and still uncomfortable with leaving for a few days seems pathetic, but that is how I have always been. I love to travel and experience new and exciting things, but I always miss my home in the beginning and towards the end of the trip. I’ve gotten better over the years, but it still nags at me. In a text my mom told me “It’s only a few days. Enjoy it! Not everyone has this opportunity. You are lucky!” and she is definitely right. I am so very lucky, and I cannot let sadness over being far away from home for a few days ruin this opportunity of a lifetime. Speaking of being far away from home, this is the farthest I have been away from home without a family member with me.

With so many different people on the train, I can’t help but wonder where they are all going and why. There was a woman sitting diagonally behind me and she asked about our group, where we were going, what school we were from, etc. She had a southern accent, and she also shared with me that her daughter is a registered nurse in eastern Mississippi. To me, this is a place that I am just passing through. But to others, these small towns are their whole lives. I know life cannot be that much different for them as it is for me, but I am still curious to know about what their lives are like and what brought them to this train.