Experience with host: Yera was kind and calm. Upon arrival she gave a tour of the space, offered some of her food and use of her bicycle, and each morning left two bottles of water outside the bedroom door. Conversation was light, easy, and brief. Her enjoyable presence and busy life created a comfortable environment for pursuing and exploring new activities and areas. On another note, her interior design and housekeeping are in line with refined yet modest tastes and colored with cultural accents such as masks and homemade Mexican mobiles. In addition, she is a skilled, precise, and subtle Shiatsu masseuse.

Listing: Expectations were completely met.

Neighborhood: Other residents in the building and nearby neighbors were friendly and helpful. Her massage studio is next door and a washer and dryer are in the building across the street. The plants on the front entrance are lovely and healthy. People in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s of various creeds walked around the neighborhood. The nights were quiet and peaceful. Two blocks away on St. Charles is a small cafe with a great local yogurt parfait as well as convenient access to the Streetcar which runs every ten minutes, thereby allowing the following activities in three days: observing the Aquarium and an iMax film on Kenya, cooling feet while sitting on the border of the Spanish fountain, visiting the French Quarter, walking through both a festival on the waterfront and the historic Garden District, jogging in Audubon Park, taking baths and naps, and listening to jazz on Frenchmen.