Cape Town - Part 2

Since Cape Town was so freakin' awesome, I actually have my blog in a 2 parts. Here is Part 2...

If anyone knows anything about Cape Town, Nelson Mandela's name must come into play. Of course, before I came to South Africa, I had to check out his autobiography ("Long Walk to Freedom") on audio book from the library in order to familiarize myself with his endeavers. Any how, we toured Robben Island, an island in Table Bay, where Nelson Mandela spent decades imprisoned during the apartheid era. If you didn't know, he became the first president after the end of apartheid and received the Nobel Peace Prize.

This is the rock quarry where Nelson Mandela spent decades of his life working on Robben Island. After giving a speech back in 1995, he placed the first rock on the "reunion cairn". Other fellow political prisoners followed suit. Now, at each 5 year reunion, the rock pile is enlarged.

Mandela's cell was pretty small. It's about 5 square meters (I'll let you do the conversion). I'd hate to really have to stay in that cell!

Although I lost half of my group to a logistical error (they got on the wrong bus!), I still had an educational experience with the rest of my friends and the former inmate who guided us around.

Table Mountain was pretty cool. I really wished I could have hiked up to the top of it instead of taking the cable car...although the ride on the cable car was pretty cool in itself. I made it to the top just in time to see the climbers taking down their ropes. So much for "abseiling" or rappelling down!! That would have been an awesome photo op. :-(

There were a ton of Dassies everywhere, if you paid attention and focused your eyes in the foreground. Sometimes people would just look at the great view and miss them! It is believed that the Table Mountain Dassie is the closest living relative to the African elephant. Apparently they are going by an analysis of their teeth in the skull to prove it. Interesting. Definitely got the short end of that stick in the gene pool! lol

We stayed up on top of Table Mountain to check out the sunset. Of course, we had to bring some of the wine and cheese we bought in the Cape Winelands. And in case you didn't know, that little island off into the distance is Robben Island.