Robben Island

My last Wednesday in Cape Town was a public holiday, so I didn't have class. I took a ferry to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 28 years). I got a really nice picture of Table Mountain from the boat (to be posted). When you first get off the ferry you get a bus tour of the island. They took us through the village where the permanent residents live, to the lime quarry where some of the petty criminals worked (others worked as servants for the permanent residents), and past the medium security buildings where they kept the violent criminals (murderers and rapists). The bus tour ended at the maximum security building, where the political prisoners (like Nelson Mandela) were held. One of the former political prisoners (I don't remember his name) gave my group a tour inside the maximum security building. The first thing he did was take us into the room where he and about two hundred other men slept. He told us that when he first arrived, all they had was a thin mat to sleep on. Right before lights out, they would all put down their mats one next to the other. There were so many men crammed into such a small space, they all had to sleep on their sides. If someone wanted to turn over, he would tap the shoulder of the man in front of him and everyone in that row had to turn over at the same time. When the Red Cross was finally allowed inside, they made them give the prisoners beds. Another thing the maximum security prisoners were deprived of was outside news. A newspaper was the most precious commodity. The guards were all young (18-20) Africaaners. After a while some of the guards were sympathetic to the prisoners. Our guide told us about one guard that he became friends with. The guard would bring a newspaper with him in the morning and leave it it the office. After our guide would clean the office, he would take the newspaper with him. Our guide and the guard still keep in touch. Eventually the men in charge noticed the relationships that were forming and started rotating the guards out after two years.
Next he took us to the administrative offices. He told us about how they tortured the prisoners. The prisoners were allowed a visitor once a month, but for most it was not economically possible. Eventually the Red Cross helped with that, too. Only children over 16 were allowed to visit. For some men, the first time they saw their child was when they were 16! It was extremely disturbing to hear him discuss receiving electro shock through his testicles and the scars he still carries on his back from being whipped, all in an emotionless voice! I'll never forget that. I wasn't the only person with tears in my eyes before he was done speaking.
The anti-apartheid leaders were kept in a separate wing of the building. They each had their own (very small) cell, and there was a separate courtyard where they were allowed outside one hour a day. Mandela had a small garden in the courtyard, and the fruit tree he tended still bears fruit. The garden was where he hid the manuscript he wrote while he was imprisoned. It was smuggled out when another prisoner was released.
Leaving the maximum security building was a relief! The only time I've felt more relief at leaving a place was when I walked through the front gate of Dachau, the concentration camp in Germany.
On the walk back to the ferry landing, there was another boardwalk where you could see African penguins. It was disapointing. I saw more penguins on the Cape Point tour. I also didn't see many eggs and no babies on Robben Island. I did see a number of penguins in the water, but they were too far away to get a good picture of them.
After I got back to the mainland I went to the Mount Nelson Hotel for high tea. In case you don't know, high tea involves a lot of finger foods, and too many deserts to count! There were small pastries with mushrooms, chicken, or beef, the obligatory cucumber or cheese and tomato sandwiches, cream-filled pastries, what passes for pecan pie down here (it's not that good), 4 or 5 different cakes, and a number of other goodies. I got there early, so I was able to get a table outside on the patio. It was a beautiful afternoon. After the draining morning, I was hungry. I had a pot of Rooibos tea and another half pot of Earl Grey. They were pretty big pots, but I was thirsty.
From high tea I went directly to Canal Walk (also called Century City), the HUGE mall in Cape Town. You could spend an entire day there shopping, and not see the whole thing. I picked the wrong day to go, but that was my only opportunity. It was wall-to-wall people, since it was a public holiday. I wasn't even looking for anything specific. I just wanted to see another mall besides the one spread all around the Victoria and Albert waterfront. There were some theatres inside the mall, and an amusement park across the street. I got there right before 5, which was when the park closed. It was too bad, because there was at least one roller coaster I wanted to go on. It's been years since I was on a roller coaster. Oh, well, maybe next time.