Savannah, GA - Part 3

2 Chicas go to the Gullah Gullah Place

St. Helena’s Island is home to a group of Gullah descendents who still own much of the land on the island.  The way the people speak is difficult to understand.  It is a combination of English and West African and is a type of creole.

It is considered to be its own language.  The lifestyle is very reflective of the people who to this day hunt, fish, make nets, and sing and speak just like their ancestors.

2 Chicas were so excited to go hang out with the Gullah people and just so happened to visit during the 29^th Annual Heritage Days Celebration.

Chica 2 tried to take a quick primer on the Gullah language prior to the trip. But in reality, she sounded more like a speech impaired Jamaican. Please don’t offend the Gullahs Chica 2!

Upon arrival at the festival, the 2 Chicas went to view the Sankofa Museum on Wheels.  This is the south’s largest traveling museum on South Carolina African American History.  The 2 Chicas were ready to get on the bus, but it was on display in the hall.  It took us a minute to realize they move the artifacts from place to place.

There were real shackles on display and other artifacts that captured the history of Africans in America from slavery to the White House.

Don’t make the mistake that Chica 1 did and snap a picture.  The curator in her strong deep creole voice startled Chica 1 by saying NO PICTURES! 

Chica 1 immediately returned to the age of 4 and apologized, fearful that one of the whips on the table would be used on her.

Chica 2, always ready to fight, said "Dagg, we’re not going to make any postcards and sell them on Ebay."  Better safe than sorry….
 

After an emotional tour of the museum, we were ready to eat some good old Gullah food. It was about noon time, so the first vendor was offering fish sandwiches and crab cake dinners.

Chica 2 ordered the fish sandwich and was jumping up and down like a Chihuahua ready for her doggy treat. 

When she opened her Styrofoam container, the fish was smiling at her. He had a mouth full of little teeth and eyes and fins.

Chica 2 was unprepared, somehow thinking she was getting a little square fish filet. Although it was seasoned to perfection, Chica 2 had lost her appetite. 

She accused the poor lady of selling her a fried piranha. Chica 2, it won’t hurt you; it is dead, and it is a whiting fish. Chica 2 still believes it is a piranha with razor sharp teeth.

Most of the other vendors were not open yet, so the 2 Chicas went off to the Gullah Grub Restaurant.  Oh Lawd! Is about the best we can say about this experience.

It is a small restaurant, designed for a few customers. Obviously, not all at the same time as was the case on our visit. 

The service was comical if you weren’t hungry. A tour bus full of divas and a couple of guys beat us to the restaurant. The waitresses could not figure out who got water or tea and who had ordered. They forgot to give silverware, forgot to deliver the food, and forgot how much the food cost. 
 

Due to the huge rush (we hope), they ran out of greens. Since there were only two vegetables to choose from, this was major. Greens or lima beans – you mean only lima beans?  Oh Lawd!!

The rice wasn’t completely done, unless the Gullahs serve theirs a little crunchy. Their ancestors were rice experts, so we’re not sure. 2 Chicas like their rice fluffy. To top it off, the food was expensive. 

Chica 2 liked her bbq chicken, but the rice was yucky and so was the potato salad. The low country boil was bland. Anyone can boil in water.  The shrimp and shark were overcooked.

The shark seemed like a substitution, but who are we to say it didn’t have a protruding fin that morning.

Chica 2 graciously blamed the fiasco on the tour bus overwhelming the system.  Maybe we will have better luck next time – if there is a next time.

Back to the festival we go and it is a good thing we did, because things had gotten better. On the property is the Penn Center. This is one of the country’s oldest schools for freed slaves. Martin Luther King visited this site, and according to the locals, began writing his I Have a Dream speech. There are a number of other buildings on the property. The area preserves the heritage and customs of the Gullah people.

During the evening events, there was live blues music performed by the Dr. Patch Blues Band.  2 Chicas also enjoyed a wonderful low country boil, spicy and seasoned up to perfection.

The crabs and fish fry were also big hits. Chica 2 enjoyed watching the Gullahs cook the oysters in a pit of fire. A vendor sold Russian Tea and other beverages.

Everyone had a good time and before it got too late, the 2 Chicas headed back to Savannah.

We said goodbye to the Gullah Gullahs and hope to see you again!