Gullah is an African American ethnic group who predominantly live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, within the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. They are known for their food and the sweet grass baskets they make, which can run you into the thousands of dollars. Lori almost tripped when she saw the price for a basket! But they are sturdy, sewn not woven, and will/can last a lifetime. So there is that, when you consider the price tag.
Our tour was good, and our guide was an expert in Gullah language and culture. So much so that when he purposely spoke Geechee he was hard to understand. For instance, ‘Uh een crack mu teet’ means “I didn’t open my mouth”. I know, totally obvious once you type it out……….
Here are some pictures of Charleston from the tour.
Interesting where we ended up sitting on this bus tour. The African Americans were in the front and the white folk in the back.Our tour guide Alphonso Brown. He is also a lecturer and author of A Guide to Gullah CharlestonThe homes are built sideways. The door to the street shown here is closed, which would mean they are not open to visitors. If it was open then they were. You would then walk onto the porch and reach the actual front door of the home.Skinniest home in Charleston. Home sold for $8 millionTwo blocks from the $8 million home is what you could call the projects, where freed black people lived after the emancipation. These homes were made from the bricks of the slave prison, which collapsed in a earthquake.
After the tour we just wandered around enjoying our surroundings.
Juggling Boards. These are long, have rocking bases, and are semi flexible which makes them easy to gently bounce on, simulating a rocker. Introduced in the 1800s, they enabled young couples to juggle their way into the middle to meet up. Today they are symbols of warm hospitality and many Southern porches have one.Rainbow row, one of the most visited and photographed places in the historic district. There are 13 18th century houses along East Bay Street on the Charleston Harbor.This iron gate was made by Philip Simmons, who was born on June 9 1912. He went to school until 6th grade, when he then began his apprenticeship at the local blacksmith. He worked almost 80 years as a blacksmith winning many awards, including one Gate that was purchased by the Smithsonian. Picture of the ocean from Fleet Landing. We even saw a dolphin playing by the shorePhilip Simmons home. The little one in the back. The City Market where local artisans sell their goods. One of the entrances to the MarketEntrance to the MarketInside the MarketLunch at Fleet Landing, crab and lobster stuffed hush puppies.GumboPausing to look at our surroundings
