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Published: December 29th 2008
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Today didn’t start off to well as when we turned the camera on, there was no power despite the battery being fully charged. We later went to a camera shop to see if a new battery did the trick, however it didn’t, so no holiday photos today until G works out whether he can take still photos on the video camera tonight. I thought I would put some Simba pictures on however to brighten up the page!
First thing, we headed along to the V&A waterfront for breakfast before heading down to the Robben Island ferry terminal for our pre-booked trip to Robben Island. I think this must be one of the most popular trips in Cape Town as each time we have been down, there have been a number of people waiting to see if people don’t turn up for their pre-booked tour so they can get on it, despite the boat carrying 300 people!
Robben Island is most famous as the place that Nelson Mandela was held prisoner, however the place was used as a prison first pack in the 1600’s. In 1963, when Nelson Mandela arrived, it had become a maximum security prison where all of the wardens
(but none of the prisoners) were white. There is nothing but sea between the island and the south pole to the south, and the island is about 11km from Cape Town to the North, therefore was in a very exposed location. Prisoners slept on a thin mat on the floor (I noticed that it had Simba written on it excitedly - G shooshed me!) until the red cross introduced beds in the 1970’s and were kept in solitary confinement in their 2 x 2.5metre cell for 16 hours a day. The remainder of the time was devoted to hard labour.
Our trip on the cateraman to the island took about 30 minutes. When we arrived we were immediately taken on a guided bus journey around the island (some people still live in the old wardens houses today) for about 30 minutes before stopping at the prison. We then got off the bus and were greeted by an ex-prisoner. Our guide had been imprisoned for 5 years when he was 16, without trial, for simply protesting as a student.
The guide was very informative, walking us around the prison, into communal cells and then finally to Nelson Mandela’s cell (which has
been left exactly the same as when he left it) and telling us stories of his time on the island.
I think we must have had the chattiest guide on the island as we had to trot to make the boat back at 2pm - I think a few from our group may have missed it!
When we arrived back, we had a drink on the waterfront before I headed back to the hotel to lie by the pool and G headed out on the museum trail - he walked firstly around the waterfront and then headed down towards the parliament and museum district around Adderley Street and Company Gardens before stopping at the South African museum (apparently - well he certainly didn’t arrive back with any more wine!).
We decided to be brave for dinner and follow a recommendation in our Lonely Planet Book for a Mexican restaurant in “backpackerville”. As this was a fair trek away, we decided to ask the hotel to book us a taxi. When we went outside, it appeared that the hotel were taking us themselves in their silver Mercedes people carrier. We thought this might not be the usual way to turn up
to a restaurant in “backpackerville” so we got out a few streets from the restaurant and walked the rest of the way. Our bravery paid off however as the food was excellent - including no garlic salsa - so we both had the works!
After dinner, we decided it sensible to get a taxi back to the hotel as we were quite a way away and didn’t really know the area. Following our debates the night before about a taxi and our escapades last year in Melbourne with a taxi taking us completely the wrong way (last night we were quoted 50 rand from the waterfront to the theatre despite the taxi clearly displaying 8 rand per kilometre signs on the side of the vehicle - I refused out of principle as there was no way that the journey was 6 kilometres - albeit it was more than we thought as we had to trot to the theatre in the end - Homer would have been proud of the speed G finished off his wine refreshment). We got a taxi after walking for about 10 minutes and the cost was 35 rand, and the journey about double the distance of the waterfront to the theatre, so I was quite pleased with myself!
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