Day 22 11/02/10

This morning our breakfast was delivered in a basket outside our door! Yogurt, croissants, hard boiled eggs, mini multigrain bread loaves, cheese, cold cuts, the guest house also puts our coffee, tea, juice, cereal, in the kitchen. The basket is so you don’t have to get dressed and or showered and eat in your room or you can take it and enjoy your breakfast on the roof deck. We opted for the latter and enjoyed a beautiful sunny morning with a view of table and signal mountains! After breakfast we hit the open air flea markets and shops in the local area! Will once again proved without a doubt that he is the master of the deal. If this were Vegas his face would be posted all over town to let the merchants know to beware. After a whirlwind tour we headed back to the room to regroup. We decided to have lunch at Victoria and Alfred waterfront we ate at Quay Four, we sat right on the boardwalk and not only enjoyed the view but found out how friendly the local birds can be! LOL two kept trying to steal my chips (French fries). After lunch we had ice cream Hagen Das YUM, then it was a ferry ride to Robben Island (Robben means seal in Dutch). Robben Island is where the South African Government imprisoned political prisoners fighting against Apartheid. Nelson Mandela being one of the most notable, as you know he later after being released became president of South Africa. It was a fascinating tour, we started on a bus tour, the guide was extremely knowledgeable and hilarious at the same time. Robben island has been used as a penal colony by the Dutch, English, South Africans, as well as a leper colony, during World War II the prisoners were removed and the military move on to the island to defend the cape coast. In 1962 it was once again used to as a prison and the prison which stands today as a museum was built. The last political prisoners were released in 1991. Today due to the wisdom of Nelson Mandela who preaches “reconciliation” which means “to not take revenge” South Africa is rebuilding itself to be a country which is inclusive and tolerant, this done for the sake of its children and the greater good and future of this country. Today the same political prisoners are the tour guides at the prison and they use their unique and very personal stories to provide a unique and powerful insight to life in this notorious prison. After the tour we took the ferry back to Cape Town and had dinner at the City Grille, Will had kudu and I had springbok followed by desert! Tomorrow is our last day our adventure is coming to a close, one last day to explore this unique City! Hard to believe it is almost time to fly home!