Cape Town South Africa

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Cape Town October 26th to 29th 2006


Upon arrival in Cape Town we received a brief tour of the city the highlight of which was a cable ride to the top of Table Mountain. The next day we were off for more sightseeing traveling to Cape Point at the tip of Africa. During the day we saw just about everything ranging from a Jackass Penguin Colony to the Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens. In the evening we had as a Speaker, a professor who has specialized in the analysis of Southern Africa issues and his wife who is an authority on Aids within South Africa. I found the professor interesting as he provided the background to explain what had transpired to bring South Africa to its current position. With 40% unemployment and a serious and growing shortage of the skills they need to realize the country’s full potential he was not overly optimistic. Our surprise guest for the evening was a Cheetah brought by the Wild Life Association. We all got the opportunity to come up and pat the Cheetah.

On Wednesday, the 25th we took a ferry to Robben Island, the Maximum Security Prison where Nelson Mandela was held for so many years. Our guide was a former prisoner, arrested when he was 16 and sentenced to 10 years. His crime was being part of a protest for better education for blacks. As a living participant in the protests he was able to impart a realism into the conditions that existed, that will be lost when his generation passes on and the tour is given in the future by a young tour guide. Looking around the prison it would have been next to impossible to escape with different lock-downs for different sections of the prison combined with two high barbed wire fences with guard dogs between the fences, surrounding the entire complex.

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Photos

Top of Table Mountain
Cape Town is laid out below table mountain.

Table Mountain Climbers
For $75 two chps will help you climb to the top of Table Mountain. I think they are under-charging.

Jackass Penguin
Returning from Cape Point we stopped to view a Jackass Penguin colony. I have no idea how they got this name.

Cheetah
This cheetah was our special guest.

Cheetah
What a beautiful animal. We got the opportunity to pet the cheetah.

Robben Island
Robben Island is the maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela spent so many years. The man in this photo was our guide. He spent 10 years in the prison on the same wing as Mandela. He was picked up at age 16. His crime was that he was protesting for better education for blacks.

Robben Island
Between the two barbed wire fenchs packs of guard dogs roamed.