February 10, 2016
Cape Town, South Africa (Day 2)
Today we visited Robben Island, best known as the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his 27 year sentence.
Cape Town from Robben Island
It is located approximately 6 miles off Cape Town and was named "Robben" or "seal" island by the Dutch in the 17th century. It was used for centuries as a prison, mental institution, leper colony, hospital, and a military base in WWII to protect Cape Town from the Axis Powers.
We boarded the ferry for the 45 minute ride to the island. The seas were calm, the sun was shining, and seals, dolphins, and whales performed for us.
Upon our arrival, we boarded a bus that drove us around the island showing us various buildings and other places. Our guide was Mr. Yasin Mohamed who was the first General Secretary of the Pan African Congress. He was a great story teller, educator and humorist. He has served as a "VIP guide" to President Obama, heads of state, UN officials....and us!
Yasin Mohamed
He showed us the building that housed Robert Sobukwe for 9 years in solitary confinement. He was the founder of the Pan African Congress, and was so feared by the Apartheid government that he was forbidden to speak even to his jailers.
Robert Sobukwe's building
We saw the graveyard for the people who were banished to Robben because they had leprosy.
We visited the rock quarry where the political prisoners were required to mine rock that built the roads on the island. Not only was it physically taxing for the men but the sun hitting the rock and the quarry dust caused many to suffer eye problems for the rest of their lives.
In 1995 there was a reunion of the political prisoners and Mr. Mandela placed a rock at the quarry and others followed his example. Today there is a photograph of the men at the reunion with the rock pile, and in front of the photograph is the rock cairn.
We then left the bus and were guided by another former political prisoner who had been a high school teacher at the time of his sentencing. He showed us a cell block with each cell containing a simple cot on an iron frame. He then took us to Mr Mandela's cell block. Those prisoners slept on the floor on a mat with a bucket for a toilet which each man emptied every day.
Guide
Nelson Mandela's cell
We visited an exercise yard, completely walled in with guard towers and barbed wire ringing the tops of the walls. They tried to exercise, with no weights or machines, of course, but it was mostly about just being in the sun.
Upon our return trip from Robben we decided to skip lunch and go straight to Victoria & Alfred, a wonderful waterfront shopping area just minutes from our ship. After being on Robben, it was a little jarring to return to shops, lovely sailboats, and restaurants.
We had to be back on board ship at 5 for a 5:15 life boat drill. While participating, we noticed that there was a little fog rolling in around us and by 6:30 we could no longer see ships, Table Mountain, or Cape Town. So much for dining outside with a beautiful view....!!
Tomorrow is a sea day and then on to Port Elizabeth. Can't wait! c
Cape Town, South Africa (Day 2)
Today we visited Robben Island, best known as the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his 27 year sentence.
It is located approximately 6 miles off Cape Town and was named "Robben" or "seal" island by the Dutch in the 17th century. It was used for centuries as a prison, mental institution, leper colony, hospital, and a military base in WWII to protect Cape Town from the Axis Powers.
We boarded the ferry for the 45 minute ride to the island. The seas were calm, the sun was shining, and seals, dolphins, and whales performed for us.
Upon our arrival, we boarded a bus that drove us around the island showing us various buildings and other places. Our guide was Mr. Yasin Mohamed who was the first General Secretary of the Pan African Congress. He was a great story teller, educator and humorist. He has served as a "VIP guide" to President Obama, heads of state, UN officials....and us!
Yasin Mohamed
He showed us the building that housed Robert Sobukwe for 9 years in solitary confinement. He was the founder of the Pan African Congress, and was so feared by the Apartheid government that he was forbidden to speak even to his jailers.
Robert Sobukwe's building
We saw the graveyard for the people who were banished to Robben because they had leprosy.
We visited the rock quarry where the political prisoners were required to mine rock that built the roads on the island. Not only was it physically taxing for the men but the sun hitting the rock and the quarry dust caused many to suffer eye problems for the rest of their lives.
In 1995 there was a reunion of the political prisoners and Mr. Mandela placed a rock at the quarry and others followed his example. Today there is a photograph of the men at the reunion with the rock pile, and in front of the photograph is the rock cairn.
We then left the bus and were guided by another former political prisoner who had been a high school teacher at the time of his sentencing. He showed us a cell block with each cell containing a simple cot on an iron frame. He then took us to Mr Mandela's cell block. Those prisoners slept on the floor on a mat with a bucket for a toilet which each man emptied every day.
Guide
Nelson Mandela's cell
We visited an exercise yard, completely walled in with guard towers and barbed wire ringing the tops of the walls. They tried to exercise, with no weights or machines, of course, but it was mostly about just being in the sun.
Upon our return trip from Robben we decided to skip lunch and go straight to Victoria & Alfred, a wonderful waterfront shopping area just minutes from our ship. After being on Robben, it was a little jarring to return to shops, lovely sailboats, and restaurants.
We had to be back on board ship at 5 for a 5:15 life boat drill. While participating, we noticed that there was a little fog rolling in around us and by 6:30 we could no longer see ships, Table Mountain, or Cape Town. So much for dining outside with a beautiful view....!!
Tomorrow is a sea day and then on to Port Elizabeth. Can't wait! c
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