Home alone.
Thankfully, I'm in the apartment alone, thinking about the history I witnessed today.
The visit to Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 19 of 27 years, was sobering.
The island is reached via ferry. The ride is 30 minutes. You can see the Cape Town sillouette behind you moving farther and farther away as you get closer and closer to the island.
As you gaze into the rapidly approaching distance, you see, what appears to be a community. There are structures all around, that look like they're been there for years. No sign of the prison yet.
Once docked, we got off the ferry and boarded four large buses. This is a guided tour, so we're driven around the island, with our guide pointing out the highlights. It is during this ride that we eventually pass by the maximum security prison, where political prisoners were held. There are several buildings making up this section, but none of them are especially large.
Interestingly, the political prisoners were held in maximum security, but murderers, rapists, and serial killers were housed in the minimum security wing. The reason they weren't together is because the government feared the political prisoners would influence and sway the thinking of the criminal prisoners. The government feared the political prisoners more than the actual criminals.
We then drove by the limestone quarry that the prisoners worked. The guide described the horrid conditions under which they labored. There is a small pile of rocks at the entrance of the quarry that was built impromptu when Nelson Mandela, and many of his political comrades who were imprisoned with him, went back to Robben Island to dedicate it as a museum. When he finished speaking, he picked up a rock and sat it down. Every other former prisoner did the same. This pile of rocks has remained untouched since that time in 1994.
Side note - The island is home to about three hundred people who run the museum and take care of the land and the buildings. There was an elementary school on it until last year, when the few number of students warranted it to closed. The students attend school in Cape Town and travel to and fro via ferry.
Side note 2 - There was a senior high school group of about eight or nine that were touring as well. They were all from Cape Town and were a very impressive group. They asked great questions, and were good conversationalists for their age. They rivaled college kids in their thinking. It was refreshing to see.
When we finished the bus tour, we were guided by an actual political prisoner who had been imprisoned there, too. He served six years, beginning in 1986.
His story was a remarkable one. He shared what life was like when he was there, and compared it to life when Mandela was in prison. The conditions had improved, but not by much.
There must have been a crowd of about 80 of us, listening to his commentary. We're in a large room that housed prisoners in an open area, as opposed to the single cells. There are benches that line the walls, with two sets of bunk beds on the far wall, demonstrating the kind of beds they had. In addition, there were two narrow, rough, rugs in the middle of the floor that were used to sleep on before the prison system was forced to provide beds.
There were at least two couples, about my age, who did not appear at all interested in what was being said. One of them were talking during the guide's message. The guide said if they were translating for each other, fine. If not, then he shared that they should be respectful of the message and the memory of the suffering that had taken place. It was a powerful statement.
The two couples, got up and left.
The guide saw one of the men who walked out later, as we were moving through the building, and asked if he understood English. The man said he did. If I was that guy, I think I would have lied. He looked like an idiot for walking out.
The guide was very even tempered though, not getting upset, but you could see he was disappointed, hurt even. He had lived in this hell hole, and was trying to help us to see and understand what that was like.
We then went to see Mandela's cell. It was unbelievably small, where he spent almost twenty years of his life.
His life and time there is a true testament to the endurance of the human spirit.
In fact, the island also housed scores of German Shepherds that the prison used to help guard the inmates. The dogs' houses were twice the size of the prisoners' cell.
Even the dogs were treated better than the men.
Then, as nature's way to lighten things up, as we were leaving, we went to see a colony of penguins that live on the island, too. They blended in really closely with the rocks, so they were hard to spot.
Over and over, we were reminded that it was in the spirit of forgiveness that this monument, this island, stands today. In spite of the inhumane cruelties that were levied here throughout the years, it is because of forgiveness that the people, and it - Robben Island Museum - can exist.
Sobering thought, coming at the end of a sobering day.
What a triumph for Mandela to leave this place, and ride the ferry into history as the first Black President of South Africa.
Thankfully, I'm in the apartment alone, thinking about the history I witnessed today.
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| Bridge to the Mandela Museum that swings open to let ships pass |
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| Another view of the bridge |
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| Mandela Museum Where you catch the ferry to go to Robben Island |
The visit to Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 19 of 27 years, was sobering.
The island is reached via ferry. The ride is 30 minutes. You can see the Cape Town sillouette behind you moving farther and farther away as you get closer and closer to the island.
As you gaze into the rapidly approaching distance, you see, what appears to be a community. There are structures all around, that look like they're been there for years. No sign of the prison yet.
 |
| Robben Island on the horizon |
Once docked, we got off the ferry and boarded four large buses. This is a guided tour, so we're driven around the island, with our guide pointing out the highlights. It is during this ride that we eventually pass by the maximum security prison, where political prisoners were held. There are several buildings making up this section, but none of them are especially large.
 |
| Busses that took us around the island |
Interestingly, the political prisoners were held in maximum security, but murderers, rapists, and serial killers were housed in the minimum security wing. The reason they weren't together is because the government feared the political prisoners would influence and sway the thinking of the criminal prisoners. The government feared the political prisoners more than the actual criminals.
 |
| Outside view of the maximum security wing |
We then drove by the limestone quarry that the prisoners worked. The guide described the horrid conditions under which they labored. There is a small pile of rocks at the entrance of the quarry that was built impromptu when Nelson Mandela, and many of his political comrades who were imprisoned with him, went back to Robben Island to dedicate it as a museum. When he finished speaking, he picked up a rock and sat it down. Every other former prisoner did the same. This pile of rocks has remained untouched since that time in 1994.
 |
| Limestone Quarry - Political prisoners were forced into the hard labor of breaking these rocks. The dust was damaging to their lungs, and because of the light color of the limestone, that absorbed heat, it was blisteringly hot work, too. There is a small cave-like opening that was the only thing they could use for shelter. |
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| Pile of rocks that began with Mandela's |
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| Close-up of rocks |
Side note - The island is home to about three hundred people who run the museum and take care of the land and the buildings. There was an elementary school on it until last year, when the few number of students warranted it to closed. The students attend school in Cape Town and travel to and fro via ferry.
Side note 2 - There was a senior high school group of about eight or nine that were touring as well. They were all from Cape Town and were a very impressive group. They asked great questions, and were good conversationalists for their age. They rivaled college kids in their thinking. It was refreshing to see.
 |
| Prison Tower |
When we finished the bus tour, we were guided by an actual political prisoner who had been imprisoned there, too. He served six years, beginning in 1986.
His story was a remarkable one. He shared what life was like when he was there, and compared it to life when Mandela was in prison. The conditions had improved, but not by much.
There must have been a crowd of about 80 of us, listening to his commentary. We're in a large room that housed prisoners in an open area, as opposed to the single cells. There are benches that line the walls, with two sets of bunk beds on the far wall, demonstrating the kind of beds they had. In addition, there were two narrow, rough, rugs in the middle of the floor that were used to sleep on before the prison system was forced to provide beds.
 |
| Large, open cell block; We were sitting on the benches around the perimeter of the room |
There were at least two couples, about my age, who did not appear at all interested in what was being said. One of them were talking during the guide's message. The guide said if they were translating for each other, fine. If not, then he shared that they should be respectful of the message and the memory of the suffering that had taken place. It was a powerful statement.
The two couples, got up and left.
 |
| Prison Yard |
The guide saw one of the men who walked out later, as we were moving through the building, and asked if he understood English. The man said he did. If I was that guy, I think I would have lied. He looked like an idiot for walking out.
The guide was very even tempered though, not getting upset, but you could see he was disappointed, hurt even. He had lived in this hell hole, and was trying to help us to see and understand what that was like.
We then went to see Mandela's cell. It was unbelievably small, where he spent almost twenty years of his life.
 |
| Mandela's cell |
His life and time there is a true testament to the endurance of the human spirit.
In fact, the island also housed scores of German Shepherds that the prison used to help guard the inmates. The dogs' houses were twice the size of the prisoners' cell.
 |
| House used for solitary confinement; Dog shelters are to the left and right |
 |
| Prison Warden's home; Now used as a guest house for visiting dignitaries |
Even the dogs were treated better than the men.
Then, as nature's way to lighten things up, as we were leaving, we went to see a colony of penguins that live on the island, too. They blended in really closely with the rocks, so they were hard to spot.
 |
| Robben Island is home to 13,000 penguins |
Over and over, we were reminded that it was in the spirit of forgiveness that this monument, this island, stands today. In spite of the inhumane cruelties that were levied here throughout the years, it is because of forgiveness that the people, and it - Robben Island Museum - can exist.
Sobering thought, coming at the end of a sobering day.
 |
| I love the message on this bus . . . We're on the journey together. |
What a triumph for Mandela to leave this place, and ride the ferry into history as the first Black President of South Africa.
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