4 February 2010
Today after a rather sleepless night I decided to get the red open toped bus around the city for a look around. I was also trying to get to Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandella was imprisoned.
I got the bus at the SA museum and went all over the city. I saw Table Mountain and lions head, as well as some stunning beaches and scenery. I passed through District 9 and managed to get off at the harbour and purchased a ticket on the Robben Island ferry with little trouble.
The ride out took half an hour and we were met by a guide who managed to tell us how each of our countries had somehow influenced the island. Australia brought gum trees and rabbits apparently. We got to meet an ex-prisoner and his story was very moving, I also got to see the cell where they once kept Nelson Mandela. We toured the entire prison site including the exercise yard and quarry where the prisoners were forced to break rocks. The place was hotter than the surface of the sun.
I was at this point I realised I’d forgotten to put sunscreen on, my face felt like it was being melted off and I can’t imagine what it must have been like for the prisoners who were kept here, most of them wrongfully and just because of the colour of their skin. Hard to believe such cruelty existed in the world and unfortunately still exists.
Nothing but admiration for Nelson Mandela, who managed to pull himself up from this place and become a leader his people could look to. It just goes to show you that no matter what your lot is in life you can always change your stars.
Back at the hotel I met l my new roommate whose name is Krystal and she is from Belgium. She knocked and when she opened the door she almost gasped in horror, yep my sunburn is that bad! We had a group meeting, there are quite a lot of us and the trip is actually run by a company called ‘Dragoman’, I was expecting Intrepid which I thought was a bit weird. We met our tour leader Sarah who is from New Zealand and our driver, Dave from the UK. They gave us a run down on what is ahead of us and set out expectations for the road ahead.
The whole group then went out for dinner to a place called Mama Africa’s where they had live music and I had Springbok steak for dinner, which was amazingly good. I then walked back to the hotel to get some sleep in preparation for the start of a long adventure.