We got really lucky on about day 2 of our trip and hit a PETA protest going down right across the street from Cafe du Monde.
After two days of eating omelets and potatoes to avoid gluten and meat at all costs, we had pretty much given up hope of finding any vegetables anywhere. The only place with soy milk was a Starbucks I saw at the airport, and there was no tofu from here to Atlanta. On one memorable occasion, I ordered a Vegetarian Omelet that I discovered, upon taking a bite, contained that famed cruciferous vegetable known as "bacon."
As we wandered the streets, our hopes of healthy food were dashed as we passed tourist after tourist with a grenade in one hand and a grease stain on the shirt.
That was when we saw the giant truck parked on Decatur Street with a picture of a chicken mid-slaughter. I've never been so glad to see a giant portrait of tormented livestock.
Beautiful young drifters in Urban Outfitters faux-rags with white-people dreadlocks sat cross-legged with clipboards and guitars. I even saw a bicycle. I knew I had found my people.
As we passed, they fumbled at their clipboards and asked us if we would consider vegetarianism. May and I looked at each other and said "Oh... we're vegan," the cries went up and suddenly a slew of dejected, beaten-down elitist liberati youth rose up and shouted "OH MY GOD! REALLY? YOU GO GIRLS!"
It was awesome. I felt like I had just won a prize. They gave us restaurant recommendations, and we got our vegetables, and somebody told me I seemed like "a pretty awesome human being."
Becky Paxton
April 11, 2010
Pretty Awesome Human Being
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