A Short Boat Ride to Prison

When I’m not reading arts textbooks, emailing teachers and cornering scared high school students at their openings, I’m doing one “touristy” thing a week. My first week, I went to a place made famous by Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment there, Robben Island.

 

V&A Waterfront

The penguins and I had the opposite reaction to the boat ride over there. While they were jumping and playing I was standing (and kneeling) watching the waves swell and occasionally go over the side of the boat.

View of Table Mountain from the boat

Once on the island we were herded into a bus and taken to the various sites. By far the most depressing for me was the limestone mine. There, political prisoners worked long shifts mining unusable (that just makes it worse) stone by hand.

Stone Quarry

Mandela's Cell

The tour concluded with a walkthrough given by a former prisoner. Most of the tour guides live on the island, right next to their former guards who still work there (though now in a different capacity.)

Exercise Yard

But both have quite a view.