Robben island

Sunday 5 May
Today we visited the place where political prisoners were housed during the apartheid days. We traveled the 11kms on the Sea Princess with Joan and Hugh on a nice calm sunny day, the trip taking about half an hour. When we arrived we were met by an African tour guide who took around the island showing us the quarry where the men worked and the special accommodation where Sobukwe the leader of the Pan African Congress spent his time. The thing that must have been most frustrating for the prisoners was that Cape Town looked so close but was so far away. We then had a tour through the actual prison. Our tour guide this time was an ex prisoner, Sparks, who served 7 years on the island for insurrection. We saw the dreadful conditions they lived in and we also saw the actual cell that Nelson Mandela was incarcerated in for 18 years. It is very sad that these things happened in our lifetime, but the Africans seem quite philosophical about it all now.

Our transport to Robben Island

and no-one got seasick

Nelson Mandela’s home for 18 years

Sparks our Tour Guide

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