Robben Island

          The weather was gorgeous at somewhere in the high sixties, perfect for touring, and after a quick bite to eat, we were off. Our big event today was going to visit Robben island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty seven years.The island is about seven kilometers away from the coast of South Africa, and was used to hold high security and political prisoners. While it was sad to see what happened to the prisoners there, it was an essential visit, as its closing is one of the biggest moves against racism in human history. The boat ride to and from the island takes two hours each way, but it is a small price to pay when considering getting to see where so many important events in history happened here. The island is self sufficient, as it created its own water and food supplies, as well as electricity, and has been used as a prison for centuries. It is surprising that the prison lasted so long without many speaking out about the conditions for some of the prisoners there. Another part of the island we got to see is the gun emplacements that are still there from World War II, we had to remind Derek that guns are not toys, and the artillery cannons were for looks only. We returned to the mainland and since we were at the coast, we ate some Tripe, which was curried with potatoes and onions. Not our favorite, but it was certainly  a new experience of South Africa. We got back and after a snack, we went to bed.