Still in Cape Town

Yesterday morning I made it to Robben Island.  This is really one of the “must do” trips for Cape Town.  It’s a bit like saying you’re going to Sydney for a holiday and not seeing the Harbour Bridge & Opera House, or going to London without visiting the Tower.  The catamaran left at 9am and they said you had to be there at 8:30.  The only reason I could see for being there that early was to start and then join a queue.  That bit worked well.   At 9am the queue shuffled forward, down the stairs, through a security check and out to the catamaran.  The trip out to Robben Island took 25 minutes, long enough in the conditions for some very pale looking people to arrive.

The catamaran was packed - not sure if it was because it was a weekend, or if the trips are always so popular.  And it wasn't just the obvious foreign tourists aboard.  After we alighted at Robben Island, everyone was then put onto coaches and each coach assigned a guide because the first part of the tour was to cover the whole island.  Our guide certainly had a sense of humour, which made that part of the trip very enjoyable despite the content.

Over the centuries, the island has had a very colourful history but most people associate it with one of the prisons Nelson Mandela spent years in.

The second part of the tour was inside the prison, and our guide was an ex prisoner.  His name was Sparks, and he was imprisoned at Robben Island from 1983 – 1990. 

The first cell that he stopped at was what we thought a fairly large room, and it turned out to be the cell where Sparks spent those 7 years, except at the start of his stay the windows did not have any glass.  And there were 59 other prisoners sharing the cell.  One tiny bathroom.  During his talk about the routine and conditions, I was trying to imagine how he must feel – having been imprisoned there and now working there as a guide. 

The guides are a mix of former prisoners and former guards.  So on one of the walks I asked him.  He thought he was lucky “only being there for 7 years” but he was terrified when he started work as a guide.  He’s adjusted to it now, and feels a sort of pride but he did say that the hardest part was working with the former guards.  Now though, he can honestly say they are friends and I thought that part was amazing.  It’s the part I will take with me.

We were lucky to have a view of Table Mountain.  The weather has turned this week in Cape Town, so to see the mountain is quite a treat because usually you have seen a huge cloud bank and know that the mountain is tucked in firmly beneath.

So it was a thoughtful – and thankfully smoother – trip back to the V&A Waterfront area.  Jenny was waiting at Willoughby & Co. – for her sushi fix.  This is where we thought we were heading for yesterday but ended up on the cruise.  I can now see why she was hanging out for the sushi – absolutely divine.  I’m aware I’ve said that about other meals, but there are so many fantastic restaurants here in Cape Town that you really do need to spend some time here.

We spent the afternoon walking around de Waterkamp, the suburb Jenny lives in.  It’s like living in Paddington – walking distance to the CBD and Waterfront area, funky shops, lots of cafes, supermarkets, weekend markets and the houses higher up on the hill are colourful, like the ones in Bo Kaap but more Georgian in style.  Walking along some of the streets, I felt like I was back in London.  There were two open houses on so of course we went in to have a look around, and it was good research for Jenny.

Our next stop was The Mount Nelson Hotel for cocktails.  This is “THE” oldy-worldly hotel in Cape Town.  Painted pink.  Extensive grounds.  Actually it has a hotel, and villas and a range of accommodation so it was more like a suburb in itself. 

I had a walk around part of the gardens and then we ordered our cocktail – and yes, I had a Mango Daiquiri!  We ended up just having one, and then we headed home.  I did ask what the rack rates were and the entry level room available last night was R3750 and I'm not sure if that included breakfast or not!  (the rate is R8 = $1 AUD)

Of course, we had to visit the Ladies on the way out, as us girls do!