| It was the last day in South
Africa and one more place to see; Robben Island. Coming to Cape Town and not visiting
Robben Island would be like going to Egypt and not seeing the pyramids. Robben Island was
the prison home of Nelson Mandela for over twenty years. It was selected due to its
isolated position in Table Bay and the consequent impossibility of escape. We vacated the
room and left the luggage in the lock up at the hotel. Two other friends were off to
Robben Island so we shared a taxi down to the harbour area. The weather today had changed
completely. Up until now we had experienced unremitting sunshine. Now it was overcast and
dull with rain forecast. Table Mountain was consumed by cloud and the sea was stirring
into a swell. We caught the catamaran to the Island, which runs every hour from the clocktower at the harbour. The boat ploughed out of the protection of the harbour into a stormy sea. The trip became a roller coaster ride and we were thrown this way and that. The catamaran was going at full speed and made no allowance for the conditions. Countless times it left the water to crash back down with a heavy thump. At first we thought it was hilarious but as the trip went on we started to feel very queasy. At one point we were heading straight for one of those massive oil tankers and only changed course at the last minute. This was a boat ride African style and what a ride it was. As soon as we arrived we were herded on to a tourist bus and taken for a trip around the island, whilst a tour guide explain its history. We visited the lime quarry where Nelson Mandela toiled for years and damaged his health. Our bus was ancient and dilapidated; apparently a new replacement had been dropped accidentally in the sea in a helicopter transfer from the mainland. We were treated to the effects of the lime by winds that whipped around the quarry and blew clouds of dust into the bus. It was very unpleasant. Next stop was the prison itself. An ex con was our tour guide and he told us what it was like to be a prisoner there during the period of apartheid. The prison was a depressingly grey place. It made us realise all the more what a monumental figure Nelson Mandela was, to become president of South Africa after all those years of incarceration. The buzzword was reconciliation and we were told ex-prisoners and guards now worked here together to process the tours.We soon left Robben Island and, after some last minute shopping, returned to the hotel and the airport. As we arrived at the airport a rainy drizzle cast the scene and prepared us for a return to English weather. It was with some sadness we had finished such a fantastic holiday. We were both determined someday we will return and sample more of this marvellous country. |