It stopped raining just in time for us to walk down to the waterfront area, which is about a 30 minute walk. We got there just in time to make it for the 3pm tour to Robben Island. It's a 50 min boat ride each way to get to the island. On the way we got to see lots of animals! We were still in the harbor when we saw several seals/sea lions! (I still can't tell the difference between the two despite seeing them in several aquariums recently). Then we also saw dolphins and penguins in the harbor as well! I was so surprised.
We saw a couple more seals on the way but otherwise the rest of the ride was uneventful. We got to Robben Island and were immediately shuffled onto a bus where we were given a tour of the small island. For those who aren't familiar with Robben Island- for many years it was a prison for political prisoners. One of the more famous prisoners was Nelson Mandela who served 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment there. Two other inmates have also gone on to becomes President of South Africa, including the current President Jacob Zuma. It was closed as a political prison in 1991 and actually tomorrow (April 27th) is celebrated as Freedom Day which is a national holiday to commemorate the first post-apartheid election held on that day in 1994. Robben Island is a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.
We were taken around the island and shown the lime and rock quarries where the prisoners were forced to work.We were also taken by the school (which is now closed) and church and hospital which were used when the island was also used as a quarantine for lepers. As we were touring the island we also spotted some penguins wandering around! I was finally able to grab a couple of quick pictures of them. We also saw deer, antelope, and turtles on the island. I had no idea we were going to see so many animals today!
After our bus tour we also were able to tour the prison, and our guide was actually a former prisoner there. He had been imprisoned when he was 17 and served 7 years there. He was able to share with us what it was like there during that time and how poorly they were treated. The black prisoners were especially treated poorly, receiving less food and just minimal clothing without socks/shoes even during the winter months. They were forced to work long hours in the quarries and had to endure terrible punishments.
He took us through the different cell blocks, including the general block with 60 prisoners and also the max security individual cells, including Nelson Mendela's cell. It was very moving and interesting to learn more about the history of the apartheid time here, especially from someone who had experienced it first hand.
General block:
Nelson Mandela's cell:
We caught the boat back and it was right at sunset which was really beautiful as it set behind the island. Here's a picture:
We saw some more seals and dolphins as we pulled back into the harbor so that was fun. I wish I could've gotten some pictures but they move so fast! Matt was also able to hand off another one of our "sneaky cards" as he was able to get someone to say his secret word: "dock"!
Then we grabbed dinner down there at the Waterfront. It's a really nice area with lots of shops and restuarants. There were a lot of people out since tomorrow is a National holiday. We ended up at a Belgian restaurant where I got fish and chips while Matt got a steak.
That's pretty much it for the day! We're still trying to get our flight situation straightened out and we've already spent an hour and a half on the phone. :/ Good thing I have Project Fi and calls to the US on wifi are free!
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