Charleston II

Today is our second day in Charleston, and we began our day visiting a plantation called Middleton Plantation, a garden-museum from the 18th century. It is full of exotic trees and bushes and many types of birds, butterflies, dragonflies and even alligators!

In our trip so far we have seen also alot of squirrels, mostly in parks and gardens, but also a great variety of small birds (cardinals, grackels, mockingbirds...) and big ones (such as pelicans and many types of vultures and hawks).

In this case, there were in the garden mute swans, ibis, herons, etc. And in a pond also alligators! We saw a few of them by having their noses outside the water while swimming.

We took some guided tours to understand better how it was in the colonial time; the first one was about the botannic point of view, the second one explaining the animals in the stables and the last one (and longest) was about the slaves that served in the property. It was interesting to know te types of them, the historical view of the issue and in which conditions they came to America. Later, we saw the rice plantations and saw why it was so dangerous to work there, mainly due to the mosquitos, alligators and more than 65 types of poisonous snakes).

The garden itself had a lot of smaller portions, normally with a geometrical shape; the  owners played games on the lawn. The stables were great too! They had water buffalos, hogs comming from Europe (most probably from Spain, du to their black skin), peacocks, horses, sheep and goats, etc.

Then, after seeing this plantations, we went to Charleston center to eat lunch, and we did in a restaurant called Fleet Landing, eating typical southern meals (based on she-crab soup, french sausages and schrimps and grit). 

After that, we went to Folly beach, a very good one in an island very close to Charleston. While we swam, we could see pelicans flying in row above us, a very nice view! Actually, the beach was very good, and so was the sand. Matías found an oyster in the sand, and I found some shells.

Finally, we went once again to the grocery of yesterday to buy some food for dinner and then to go a little around the city.

Valdemar

Charleston I

We are in Charleston! We have arrived after a 7-hour trip from Virginia to South Carolina (After passing throu North Carolina as well). We ate at the route in a Zaxby's some fried chicken and we drove again to reach our hotel. We were so tired that we needed to swim in the swimming-pool.

Later this evening, we took the hotel shuttle to the downtown, that is filled with beautiful tree-houses and churches in many colors, with a nice waterfront to the river Ashley.

The van left us in the promenade and we strolled around it. We saw a pineapple-shaped fountain, as well as historical houses that are in the property of the same family for more than 250 years. 

Charleston is the oldest and second-largest city in the state of South Carolina, as well as the biggest slave market until 1850's.

After walking around the city, we went to buy some groceries at a supermarket to the dinner and the breaksfast, and then we were picked up by the shuttle once again.

Valdemar