24 February Robben Island

Table Mountain, the Cape of Good Hope and Robben island must be the most visited tourist destinations in Cape Town, possibly in South Africa. The tip the locals gave us for planning our trip out to Robben island was to watch the weather and use the internet to book tickets in advance. Sound advice. When I went online all three tours per day for the next three days were sold out. The tip about weather was ferries are cancelled in strong wind and once a ferry got lost coming back from Robben to Cape Town in fog!

We were booked on the second morning trip at 11am on a Saturday. Driving in to town and parking close to the V&A waterfront was easy although it was raining and remained cold for the whole day; fleeces were the order of the day.

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront

Two ferries carried us all 6 miles out to the island harbour and the passengers off loaded on to five coaches for a tour of the island. Robben Island s been a prison, leper colony, mental institute and military base. Robben is the Dutch word for seal. The most famous inmate was Nelson Mandela who was a political prisoner for more than twenty years. We saw the guards houses and the school for their children, sports fields, the hospital, a nineteenth century church and the limestone quarry where the political prisoners broke rocks. There are also penguin and seal colonies.

quarry

prison buildings

After the coach tour we we were shown the prison. Our guide was a former inmate, jailed for his part in the Soweto riots in the 70s. He told us there were different classes of internees; political and criminal, coloureds, asians and blacks. In the prison hierarchy politicals were treated worse than criminals and blacks were given less food, harder work, less clothes and harder work than coloureds and asians. What about whites? Neatly omitted from the information given.

Mandela's cell in a block of twenty or so identical cells was identified by having a red bucket alongside the bed mat. Walking around Robben island prison, or any prison, such as Alcatraz, is a time for reflection on human behaviour and punishment. I would not I 'enjoyed' my visit, but I was very interested with what we saw and learned today.

political wing

Nelson Mandela's cell

On the return journey to the V&A waterfront there was a joyous moment when we spotted a Southern Right whale close to the boat. Our captain slowed down and turned to allow us to watch it swimming in the shallow water close to the reef. He said they are not common to see and he thought it was cleaning itself on the rocks. Whatever...always good to see a whale.

Southern Right whale in front of Cape Town

Cape Town, Table Mt and Lions Head to the right

Robben Island was our last sightseeing trip in Cape Town. Driving home along the scenic coast road through the ultra trendy Camps Bay, Clifton, past exclusive Llandudno (nothing like the original this has 24 hour private security) David and I were in a reflective mood. We're going to be sad to leave Cape Town and South Africa. South Africa met and exceeded our expectations. The country is beautiful and diverse, from the wetlands north of Richards Bay, the glory of the Kruger national park, the grandeur of Blyde Canyon and the rich agricultural lands east of Durban which sit at the feet of the towering Drakensberg Mountains through to the semi arid desert of Klein Karoo, the sumptuous wine valleys and the dramatic coast line. It's a big country. It's a rich country with vast mineral and agricultural resources.

Political issues and personal security are a consideration. We were here when Jacob Zuma was replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa as President of the country and watched the Rand increase in value by 10% over a four month period. We saw businesses and houses protected by big walls and gates, by electric fences and 24 hour security promising 'armed response'. We were warned about car jackings, muggings, to always look over your shoulder and told not to give bribe money to traffic police if we were stopped for speeding. But we departed South Africa with more than we came with and with only good experiences*.

*Two exceptions – witnessing a skirmish with guns in Hout Bay between abalone poachers and the police confiscating their boat and our arrival in Hout Bay in 50 knot winds. 24 February Robben Island