Day 1- Cape Town
Our first few days have been spent in Cape Town, exploring the city and looking around. Number one on the list of priorities was a trip up table mountain, but we’ve been battered by high winds for three days solid, and the cable car which runs to the top showed no signs of opening up.
I expected the real Africa to open up to me in Cape Town, but I was disappointed. This is very much a modern new world city, much like those seen in Australia. It’s setting is stunning though, sprawling around the harbour and rising above the city are the fabulous peaks of table mountain.
Our first trip took us around the V&A waterfront, newly redeveloped, to the point of almost sterile we walked around stocking on essentials such as underwear and toothpaste as, thanks to KLM, our bags we’re of circumnavigating South Africa. Due to the repair of the swing bridge we were offered a ride in the courtesy transport – a souped-up oversized golf buggy – laid on by the port and driven by Rudy. Who took us screeching round cars, pedestrians, and through the heart of the road works to the gate way to Robben Island,
It’s always interesting travelling with a wheelchair, and Karoline is very adventurous in where she will try and get to. This did, however, push her sense of adventure to the limit. Hoisted by five of us into the air and over the side of the boat, she put on brave face as crossed over on to the deck of the ferry, not baring to look down at the waters that lay between the boat and the dock. Safely on we crossed the choppy waters to Robben Island.
To get a real sense of the political past of Africa Robben Island is a must. It’s where Nelson Mandela and many other black political prisoners were held at the pleasure of the Nationalist government as they pushed ahead with their racist, often farcical, but horrific policy of Apartheid. It bemuses me as to how something like this came about especially straight after Europe had experienced the horrors of the Nazis and WWII. But then South Africa became a haven for Nazis and sympathizers and so for near enough 50 years the ruling whites oppressed anyone whose skin tone wasn’t purely white. Robben Island 12km of the coast of Cape Town had been the place of banishment for criminals lepers and finally political dissidents for hundreds of years. I found it ironic that now that predominantly white visitors are taken to and escorted around the island by black tour operators and guides.
Our guide around the prison was Sobe, who was former political prisoner who was detained there for 4 years. The prison was a cold, oppressive place specifically designed to limit stimulation for it’s prisoners. It shows you the strength of character of those who fought, kept fighting and eventually won their battle for freedom and equality. But as a start to a trip it offered a fascinating insight into this young country which has come so far in so short a space of time.
No related posts.
Discussion