So, how do The Pirates of the Caribbean and Christmas coincide you don't ask? Well, I will tell you anyway. One of my presents this year was from my mother, who knowing my wander lust and lack of ability to stay home on a clear day when I have a full tank of gas, bought me a book detailing some of the lesser known sites and happening of South Carolina.... It covers everything from pumpkin festivals in october, to ghosts haunting the low country, to lobster races.....
To cut to the chase though, one part of the book regarding ghosts (and surprisingly food at the same time) jumped out at me.... Apparently as I'd assumed, many charectors and places in Pirates of the Caribbean took place right here in S.C. No, I don't think there are enough crabs to carry a sloop along the beach in the low country, but apparently some things are based off real historical figures. For instance, remember the scene in the first movie where jack is left on the island with a few kegs of rum to die? Yeah, that really happened sort of.....
You see, Blackbeard beached his ship the Queen Ann's Revenge down at Murrells inlet after hijacking a large bounty of rum. Well, doing what pirates do, they all summarily got drunk as skunks (Dun ask where that saying comes from, its just here in the south I guess) and feasted upon all the oysters, shrimp, and fish from the island. Well, in the morning with hang overs abound, they all once again boarded the Queen Ann's Revenge and put to sea having burried most of the rum the night before (Minus what was downed)..... Well, one little problem.... A pirate named "Old Jack" was so hung over that he ended up getting left behind on the deserted island... Just him and all that rum anyway..... The real problem was, it took the Queen Ann's Revenge 2 years to return for the rum ( "And maybe old jack if he was still around" ). When black beard put to shore to dig up the burried rum, all he and his men found were dozens of empty rum kegs scattered all over the beach and the bones of Old Jack baking in the sun under a Palmetto tree..... Hence how the island apparently came to be known as Drunken Jack's Island..... Funny how I've been there (Over a decade ago mind you) and never knew of that.... And the fun doesn't stop there...... Nope...... Port Royal? Yep, thats south of Charleston, and the list just goes on and on from what I've read.......
So to make a long story short, its sometimes the small christmas presents that make the most interesting and useful things...... A $5 - $10 book is gonna hopefully make my summer a bit more fun, fattening, and maybe even spooky.....
Tags: Pirates Of The Caribbean Christmas
