An African Adventure: March 16 (Released 3/19): Table Mountain and Robben Island

My internal clock is set to 6 AM so I'm up early to continue touring the Cape Town area. My plans are to visit Table Mountain, the iconic edifice associated with Cape Town, and Robben Island, the infamous prison that hosted anti-apartheid activist including Nelson Mandela. The weather is ideal with little wind and few clouds. Visiting Table Top Mountain is an iffy proposition and one must make sure that the top is not covered by a "table cloth"; clouds the obstruct the view from the top. Looking up at Table Mountain, the sky is clear and there is no "table cloth" so today is the day to take the cable car to the top.

The Baldwins have been great host and Ken suggest that he drive me to Table Mountain and after my visit to the top, I take a "Hop-On, Hop-Off" bus that circles the central part of the city. If you drive to Table Mountain, you are in for a surprise....parking is limited and the walk to the cable car station can be up to a 1/2 mile. The cable car cost is 180 rand. The ride to the top takes about 5 minutes and presents an impressive moving view of Cape Town and the surrounding Atlantic Ocean. Everyone who gets on the cable car rushes for the 2 openings at the front and back of the car in order to take pictures without having one's view obstructed by glass....but....guess what....once the cable car begins its ascent/descent, the floor of the car begins to rotate so that everyone has a chance to take pictures from the 2 openings...neat. Enjoy the view...

Up - We - Go

Cable Station on Mountain Top

Typographical Depiction of
Table Mountain

Try-It, You'll Like It
Repealing off the Mountain

To my Left - Atlantic Ocean
To my Right - Indian Ocean

Table Bay - Cape Town

Notice Robben Island
Soccer Stadium at the Point

Heading Back to Earth

After Table Mountain, I hopped on a red "Hop-On, Hop-Off" bus that took me along the Atlantic shoreline to Cape Town's famous waterfront. I disembark at the 2nd stop. I attempt to purchase a 1:00 PM ticket but am told they are sold out; check back at 12:45 PM.......the Gods are on my side and I purchase the only no-show ticket. I spend about 1/2 hour walking around the harbor area taking pictures before the Robben Island tour begins.

View of the Waterfront

All Points North, South, East, West

Waterfront Clock Tower

Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela and other Black anti-apartheid activist were imprisoned. The Island has a history that is centuries old.....a rest stop for sailors and ship provisioning...a military outpost and prison...a prison and leper colony internment...finally a political and criminal prison.

You take a boat to the island; the sail takes about 40 minutes. You take a bus which takes you around the island and you see...leper cemetery.....lime stone quarry where prisoners dug worthless limestone as a punishment......view of flat Table Mountain from the sea-side.....a mosque built in honor of an Islam prisoner.....village of Robben Island which house the employees...the maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela was held. A former prisoner takes you through the security complex and explains life in the prison. The prisoner uniforms were worn year around so that in the winter months, June - August, the black prisoners froze since there was no glass in the windows. Non-blacks were colored (mixed-race), Asian prisoners from Malaysia and Indian prisoners.