There is nothing worse than getting to the airport and realizing you don't have your wallet. I know I could have gone home and made it back before the plane went but neither Robyn or I had house keys. Money wasn't such a problem because I could access my USD through Robyn's card but having no license meant I couldn't drive. We decided there was nothing I could do but have Mum & Dad send it over to me. I rang Dad & he agreed to find my wallet (I think it was in my car) and send it over.
We had a really good flight. It was just under 14hrs but the new 747s are great. We were near the back where there are only 2 seats instead of 3. There was room between the window & the first seat to put bags and pillows. I think it was even better than the A380 because it was just 2 of us & I could get up whenever I wanted without disturbing anyone.
I watched the whole first season of Smash. It is so good!!! A grown up Glee - Lisa H & Jane if you haven't seen it, you should start watching it.
We both got 2-3hrs sleep but felt ok when we got to LA. It was hot when we got outside and it was a long walk to terminal 1 for the US Airways flight to Charlotte. That flight was just under 5hrs & we got a fair amount of sleep.
Charlotte was very humid. It was also very busy because of the Democratic convention. We chose a black Dodge and got out of there. It wasn't long before we crossed into South Carolina. The drive to Columbia was about 1.5hrs but pretty easy as it was just 1 freeway.
There was a Latin festival going on just near the hotel but it was over at 10pm. We had something to eat & then slept.
Today is the Labor Day public holiday. We headed into downtown Columbia but nothing was open. As it is the capital of South Carolina we went to see the Capitol building. It is a lovely building sitting on beautiful gardens. Everything was lush & green - probably because it was so humid! We drove around town a bit but there wasn't anything to see so we headed for Charleston. It was a 2hr drive. I'm very glad we did that because Charleston is beautiful. It was a sunny day and very humid. Our hotel is in walking distance of the local attractions. We started by going into King St which is the premier shopping strip. There was Louis Vuitton and Kate Spade etc. we found a lovely little gift store where I bought a straw hat. At the other end of King St is antiques and collectibles but most of these were closed today. We went into a couple of galleries & while the art & sculptures were lovely, it was mainly to escape the heat momentarily. The buildings in Charleston are well maintained and attractive. Lots of the shops have window boxes with brightly coloured flowers. We ended up down near the waterfront so walked along towards the Waterfront Park. We needed water but there weren't any 7/11's around. Luckily we found the Blind Tiger pub. The window said they had the oldest courtyard in Charleston but it was too hot to sit out there. Luckily there was room inside. We had a wine & beer then ordered some lunch. We got to try some southern staples-fried green tomatoes and fried okra. They were both very nice - even Robyn liked the tomatoes. We continued on to the Waterfront Park where we found the pineapple fountain. I don't know what the real name is - there wasn't any signage. There were kids & adults sitting/wading/swimming in it. It must be allowed as the sign that was up said 'No lifeguard on duty'. There were lots of benches to sit on around the park as well as another fountain. We watched the world go by for a while before heading to Market St where we were told we would find basket makers. While we were sitting in the park 2 kids came up & asked if we wanted to buy a handmade flower which seems to be made out of a palm frond. I stuck it on my hat. We found markets in Markets St but they were starting to close up. We might go back tomorrow. There were also lots of funky shops which we went in & out of.
We had seen lots of horse and carriages taking tourists around which we wanted to do. When we got there it was after 6pm & they had shut down. Instead we came back to the hotel & got the car. Rob had read about a fishing pier at Folly Beach which was a 20min drive away. As the pier was 1045ft long, we thought it might be a good place to get sunset photos. Folly Beach was a vibrant beachside place with lots of shops & eateries. We found the pier & walked out. There were people fishing & there was a competition board up. We went right to the end & sat on a bench waiting for the sun to go down. There were people fishing on the opposite side of the wharf & after a while we heard some commotion and turned to see a young guy's rod bent right over. He was fighting with something & it brought him right over to our side. He said he thought it was a shark so we stayed with him to see it come up. He worked really hard & eventually it appeared near the surface. It wasn't a shark but a massive sting ray. Someone else lowered a net to try & bring it up but it was too big for the net. The guy was really tired by now & didn't think he could bring it up & over the pier because it was too heavy. He made sure everyone had photos & then cut the line. By now the sunset was obscured by clouds so we couldn't see it properly. It was about 7.30pm so we walked back to the other end of the pier. There was a restaurant there - Locklear's City Beach Grill and there was one table left outside so we took it. It was another chance to try some Southern delights. I had blackened wahu which came with grits. That was just like grainy couscous. Rob had prawns which came with hush puppies. They were a bit weird - like a donut hole but savory. It is good to try these things.
We have had an issue with our accommodation. We changed from 1 to 2 night's here but they only had us down for one. Luckily Jane has sorted it out and we are here another night. Thanks Jane! I'm really glad we aren't moving on tomorrow as I am really enjoying Charleston. Tomorrow we plan on doing the carriage tour of the city and a Harbour cruise. If time permits, we will do a plantation tour but we can do that in Alabama if we don't get to it.
Hopefully my package will arrive tomorrow!