Visit to Robben Island

Yesterday Brenda and I did a tour of Robben Island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robben_Island), where Nelson Mandela and other luminaries of the SA freedom movement were imprisoned.

I booked the tickets via the internet the night before and in the morning Diana at the office printed them out for us.  We then took the MiCiti bus to the VandA harbor and walked across the bridge to the Nelson Mandela Gateway where we were to catch the 11 AM ferry.

Glenn IV Making Her Entry

We arrived early and while we were waiting a large ketch waiting for the first bridge to open caught my eye.  It was flying the Q pratique flag and it did not take me long to conclude that just by chance we were within a few yards of Francois and his crew aboard his 54-ft ketch Glenn IV arriving from their passage from Brazil.  I knew that they had spent the previous night at anchor and now they were making their way into the VandA marina.  I hailed Glenn IV and soon Francois and I were exchanging greetings.

The ferry ride to the island took 30 minutes in a calm sea because the wind for once was calm.  As we approached the island Brenda and I wondered how the visit would be structured.  In fact it turned out to be tightly structured which is understandable given the need to manage the large crowds and protect the island's ecosystem.  Buses were waiting for us at the dock and soon we were on a bus tour of the island with a guide giving us a running description and history of the various structures, including the cemetery, leprosy hospital that had been staffed by Irish doctors and nurses (driven there by the Potato Famine), the cemetery,  some defunct military installations, etc.  One building that I took special interest in was the Governor's House, where visiting luminaries stayed after it became a World Heritage site, including, we were told, Barack Obama and his family before he became a U.S. Senator.

Brenda in Front of Robert Sobukwe's House

The guard dogs had better quarters than the prisoners.

Governor's House

Our ex-political prisoner guide

Cape Town from Robben Island

Prisoners slept on mats

Shore along Robben Island

Describing prisoner identity cards

Cell 7, block B - Nelson Mandela's cell for many years

In the prison yard

We the left the bus and were put in the hands of a tour guide who had served 7 years of a 15-Life sentence for "terrorism".  He took us on a tour of the prison giving us detailed account of what had gone on both within those walls and at the quarry where the prisoners spent day after day in mindless hard labor.

I won't go into any detail about what we saw and learned, but I will say that the harsh condition and gratuitous brutal treatment were far worse than I had imagined.  The history of Robben Island during its use as a prison that spanned centuries is a testimonial to man's stupidity.

Brenda with Friend

At 1.30 PM our terrorist tour guide showed us to the door and told us that we were free to go.  We thanked him and shook his hand, as did many others.

Glenn IV Safely in Marina

The ferry departed at 2 PM and at 2.30 PM we were back at the Gateway.  We then walked over to the marina and found Glenn IV at her slip, all in good order, and with no hint that she had just completed a long passage - other than the Q flag still flying, which told us that Francois and his crew were probably still in town going through the clearance formalities.