Today we had tickets for a boat trip to Robbens Island, Nelson Mandela's prison for so many years. We were booked on the 9am ferry so we used an Uber taxi to the waterfront, and got there early. While Mick and Teri had a coffee, I wandered around the harbour, taking photographs and watching a seal.
There's a lot of people travelling today, on a total of three boats, so we joined the queue for the 45 minute trip out to the island.
When we reach the island we are put onto buses and taken for a tour round the island, looking at Robert Sobukwe's house, the leper graves and the village. On the way round we also stop for a refreshment break, and see our first African Penguins on the rocks.
Next stop is the main security prison where we are taken on a tour by an ex-prisoner. It;s a very stark place, and it's hard to imagine spending so many years there, not to mention developing the hobby of gardening there, as Nelson Mandela did. Perhaps the most surprising fact was the amount of education that took place in the prison. All incoming prisoner's were expected to study (including political education) every day, and there was a complex system for disseminating political news from the outside.
We finish the tour with a walk past Mandela's cell, then head back to the boats.
Back in Cape Town we had mussels and chips in a waterfront restaurant, then wander around the harbour and shops, particularly enjoying a concert by a number of boys and girls singing selection of songs by famous singers and groups. A visit to the V&A food market makes us regret the lunch we had, there's an amazing selection of food in there! The harbour is interesting; it actually has upmarket apartments, next to working fishing boats, tourist areas, and many commercial boats.
We walked slowly back, and ate in the evening at one of the closest restaurants to our apartment, an Italian restaurant called Bellini's. It was a surprisingly good meal, though there was a moment of worry when an umbrella blow over, and nearly hit Teri in the head. As her cold is worse and she thinks she may have a chest infection, this didn't please her, or us!
Back to bed, and ready for our last full day in Cape Town.
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