Sunday, 15 March - Nathan

     Another busy day in CapeTown. Up at 5am for a hike (more like a climb) up Table Mountain. Once to the peak a beautiful view of the beaches and the city of Capetown.
     Next we went to the museum for District Six - a district where the blacks and coloreds were isolated and then moved (for the whites to take the property). Also a walking tour of Bo-Kaap which was another are in which the blacks refused to move.
     We then went Robben Island. This was originally a prison camp for criminals but then became a prison for dissidents against the white government (this included blacks, whites and colored). They were subject to hard labor, beatings and harsh living conditions. Also on the island were lepers.
     Some very powerful (and feared) activists were imprisoned at Robben Island. This includes Robert Sobukwe and Nelson Mandela. Sobukwe was jailed on numerous occasions for varied periods of time. Nelson Mandela spent two terms at Robben Island - one for five years and then a life term. In 1988 all but the hard criminals were released with the prison closing for good in 1996.  The plans for the African National Congress were started in the cells and limestone quarries of Robben Island. These writings were buried in gardens and elsewhere to be kept safe until freedom could be realized.  
    The tour of Robben Island was done by ex-political prisoners jailed for acts of demonstration. There stories included internal acts of solidarity including "each one must teach one" whereby the educated prisoners taught the uneducated and as mentioned before work towards an agenda to make political change against apartheid (which means "separation" in Afrikkan). 
     Last stop at the Waterfront (outdoor eating and shopping) to send home some cases of wonderful South African wines.