day 5 part 1 - Charleston markets

TEXTILES

a stall filled with the most beautiful quilted runners and place mats, so pretty, and then
turn it over... made in china.
sorry lady, i don't shop in an outside market to buy something made in china.
i could get that at the mall.
let me modify that statement.  i don't pay those prices at an outside market to
buy something made in china that i could get much cheaper at the mall.

free trade baskets from ghana.
by the time i went to the mac machine the one i really wanted was gone.
 the basket i really really wanted to match my two at home wasn't available at this vendor.
the lady who usually sells those was away on a sourcing trip in kenya.
she's this tiny blond girl who everyone refers to as big  tara or something.  it's so funny.
we bought baskets from her a couple of years ago.

i love sweet grass baskets

and now i finally have one.  only a small one, sigh,
but the next size up was closer to $100 yikes!  but i knew that going in.
these baskets have been uber expensive for years and years and years.
i think the only reason i could afford this one is because it was october and not may.
i bought it from the sweetest lady named eloise.
we walked through the whole market and walked all the way back to her stall
because she was one of two ladies who didn't have horrible attitudes.
i'll be looking for her everytime we go back.
not only was she the sweetest, her work was the best.  

walking up the market i snapped this picture.
 i have another too that gives a better idea of how much stock they had.  this is only half of it.
 but, as i rounded the corner i saw the 'no photographs' sign.  oops.
 i only respect these signs in a stall that is paid for by the vendor.
basket weavers who sell on street corners and church steps cannot stop you from taking pictures
because they're selling on public property.  it's the risk they take to save a buc.

it was so crowded (thank you carnival cruise) that i couldn't get many good pictures.
but these kind of capture some of our experience.
i've never EVER seen charleston so crowded and i've gone in what used to be peak tourist season.
 i've in been there on freshman moving day at college of charleston.
i have been visiting charleston since i was born there.
it was overwhelmingly crowded.
we're going to have to look for an even more off season time the next time we go.