We have had a wonderful time here. The whole place was an incredible surprise. It is difficult to say exactly what we expected but the overall impressions are of a very friendly , clean city, extremely warm people, we have been sensible and followed instructions regarding going out at night , we all agree we have never felt ill at ease or threatened in any way. We have eaten fantastic food in beautiful restaurants and the service is so good ( albeit sometimes on African time).
In 9 days we have done so many brilliant things. We have relived through the eyes of our guides, who themselves really did live through those terrible times and appalling events,the disgrace that was Apartheid, we have been unexpectedly moved close to tears on two occasions.
We started on the Hop on Hop off bus which I have already mentioned.
Day two we visited the District Six Museum. An enlightening and jarring initiation to the history of Apartheid . I disitnctly remember as a child discussions at home which arose from articles in the morning newspaper. I remember as clear as day when I was trying to get my Equity Card ( the Actors and Dancers Union ) I signed a section to say I would not perform in South Africa as long as Apartheid existed. Do "Google" District Six and read about it. Wikipedia also has an excellent section.Our Muslim guide ( who, by the by, used to sing on Sunday mornings at the Christian church) and his family who were driven out of their home back in 1965,have been given a new property in the District Six area which is supposed to be being returned to its former owners. However this area is in central Cape Town it is prime real estate. Need I say more. Nelson Mandela started the initiative to return the land to any previous resident who could prove with documents and land registration papers that they had owned property there, however ,since his death progress on this has slowed down,most of the area remains a barren scar on the landscape.
We went up Table Mountain, SPECTACULAR! The view, the silence, the space, it leaves you quite speechless.
We drove down to The Cape of Good Hope and watched the collision of two Oceans the Atlantic and the Indian, once again nature at her stunning powerful best.
We watched the penguins on Boulders beach. Watched the surfers in Musenburg and got stuck in horrendous traffic on the our return journey. "Yeah ! Tough " I can hear your thoughts.
Day 3 we visited the Jewish Museum and the exhibition and the Issac Kaplan Collection of Netsuke carvings. These just took our breath away, the tiny miniature details had to be viewed with the assistance of a magnifying glass.
Lunch at the Jewish Museum Cafe, pickled fish that was not at all the rollmops we were expecting, delicious.
The National Art Gallery had an exhibition of political and satirical drawings.Photo to follow. It is an extremely emotive image Of Steve Beko, one of those images it is hard to walk away from.
We visited Robbeniland, the history there is overwhelming( shocking, terrible), I swallowed down my tears, it was extremely emotional. We had a brilliant guide. He had met Mandela on three occasions and he set the atmosphere of the prisoners of conscience who had been held there. Again I can point you to Wikipedia because you will just glaze over if I start to try and tell the tale. Nelson Mandela was released from Robbeniland and spent 6 more years in another prison and then moved for a further two more years to the prison from which he was finally released. Yet another of those moments we have relived here that everyone recalls exactly what they were doing and where they were that day. I never would have believed or even entertained the idea as I watched that on TV that day that one day I would stand on Robbeniland. I get goosebumps again right now. Unforgettable. It happens to be the anniversary of his release yesterday.our guide did tell us that when the prisoners stopped their gruelling work of mining stone and had a lunch break, the talk was of how the future was to be handled after their release. It was a unanimous decision that whatever happened the response was to be one of forgiveness and peace. Our guide could live on Robbeniland but chooses to remain in his Township.
We have driven round the Chapmans peak Pass and seen the most stunning scenery, vast rugged mountainsides and roaring oceans , a seemingly endless curved white sandy beach and the biggest open blue skies that rival those of New Zealand.
Today our last day we went to the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital Museum. We did not have huge expectations of the tour. How wrong we were. Such a deeply moving experience again the tears from nowhere,why? all three of us felt it, such a tragic story, the fatal car crash just moments down the road from the hospital,the wife of the recipient of the heart actually drove past the accident as she was leaving the hospital after visiting her husband Mr Washansky. Yet another of those moments linked to this town that I clearly remember and the newspaper headline"the worlds first heart transplant plant"? Christiaan Barnard was a truly great man, married three times and yet he died alone from an asthma attack whilst on holiday in Cyprus.
I will post photos of newspaper cuttings and other images that explain far better than I ever would dare to try.
We ended up today buying Tea! The search for this took us to a new area of Cape Town near the University. What a brilliant thriving young multi national community . You have to pray that this generation can all carry forward the dream that Nelson Mandela would want to be fulfilled.
In 9 days we have done so many brilliant things. We have relived through the eyes of our guides, who themselves really did live through those terrible times and appalling events,the disgrace that was Apartheid, we have been unexpectedly moved close to tears on two occasions.
We started on the Hop on Hop off bus which I have already mentioned.
Day two we visited the District Six Museum. An enlightening and jarring initiation to the history of Apartheid . I disitnctly remember as a child discussions at home which arose from articles in the morning newspaper. I remember as clear as day when I was trying to get my Equity Card ( the Actors and Dancers Union ) I signed a section to say I would not perform in South Africa as long as Apartheid existed. Do "Google" District Six and read about it. Wikipedia also has an excellent section.Our Muslim guide ( who, by the by, used to sing on Sunday mornings at the Christian church) and his family who were driven out of their home back in 1965,have been given a new property in the District Six area which is supposed to be being returned to its former owners. However this area is in central Cape Town it is prime real estate. Need I say more. Nelson Mandela started the initiative to return the land to any previous resident who could prove with documents and land registration papers that they had owned property there, however ,since his death progress on this has slowed down,most of the area remains a barren scar on the landscape.
We went up Table Mountain, SPECTACULAR! The view, the silence, the space, it leaves you quite speechless.
We drove down to The Cape of Good Hope and watched the collision of two Oceans the Atlantic and the Indian, once again nature at her stunning powerful best.
We watched the penguins on Boulders beach. Watched the surfers in Musenburg and got stuck in horrendous traffic on the our return journey. "Yeah ! Tough " I can hear your thoughts.
Day 3 we visited the Jewish Museum and the exhibition and the Issac Kaplan Collection of Netsuke carvings. These just took our breath away, the tiny miniature details had to be viewed with the assistance of a magnifying glass.
Lunch at the Jewish Museum Cafe, pickled fish that was not at all the rollmops we were expecting, delicious.
The National Art Gallery had an exhibition of political and satirical drawings.Photo to follow. It is an extremely emotive image Of Steve Beko, one of those images it is hard to walk away from.
We visited Robbeniland, the history there is overwhelming( shocking, terrible), I swallowed down my tears, it was extremely emotional. We had a brilliant guide. He had met Mandela on three occasions and he set the atmosphere of the prisoners of conscience who had been held there. Again I can point you to Wikipedia because you will just glaze over if I start to try and tell the tale. Nelson Mandela was released from Robbeniland and spent 6 more years in another prison and then moved for a further two more years to the prison from which he was finally released. Yet another of those moments we have relived here that everyone recalls exactly what they were doing and where they were that day. I never would have believed or even entertained the idea as I watched that on TV that day that one day I would stand on Robbeniland. I get goosebumps again right now. Unforgettable. It happens to be the anniversary of his release yesterday.our guide did tell us that when the prisoners stopped their gruelling work of mining stone and had a lunch break, the talk was of how the future was to be handled after their release. It was a unanimous decision that whatever happened the response was to be one of forgiveness and peace. Our guide could live on Robbeniland but chooses to remain in his Township.
We have driven round the Chapmans peak Pass and seen the most stunning scenery, vast rugged mountainsides and roaring oceans , a seemingly endless curved white sandy beach and the biggest open blue skies that rival those of New Zealand.
Today our last day we went to the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital Museum. We did not have huge expectations of the tour. How wrong we were. Such a deeply moving experience again the tears from nowhere,why? all three of us felt it, such a tragic story, the fatal car crash just moments down the road from the hospital,the wife of the recipient of the heart actually drove past the accident as she was leaving the hospital after visiting her husband Mr Washansky. Yet another of those moments linked to this town that I clearly remember and the newspaper headline"the worlds first heart transplant plant"? Christiaan Barnard was a truly great man, married three times and yet he died alone from an asthma attack whilst on holiday in Cyprus.
I will post photos of newspaper cuttings and other images that explain far better than I ever would dare to try.
We ended up today buying Tea! The search for this took us to a new area of Cape Town near the University. What a brilliant thriving young multi national community . You have to pray that this generation can all carry forward the dream that Nelson Mandela would want to be fulfilled.
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