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After a fairly restless night again, it was off to Robben Island for the day to do something constructive and hopefully ease the two day hangover. I won't comment on the weather anymore, just assume it's very hot unless I say otherwise..
The boat trip to Robben Island is probably the most popular thing to do here it seems. Tickets for the next three days were sold out, but the Irish charm( aka lies...) got me on the only trip today. As I watched others stagger away disappointed, I dragged myself on to the boat that was absolutely packed so no seat for the half hour journey. On the plus side, they had samosas, I threw back six of them to set me up for the day..
Well you learn something new everyday.. It seems the Irish were the first missionaries allowed on the island to help take care of the lepers..and I also never knew that in the mid-eighties 12 Dunnes workers went on strike for two and a half years for the right not to handle goods from Apartheid South Africa.Nelson Mandela said that their stand helped keep him going during his imprisonment..Felt like a bit of a celebrity being the only Irish person on the tour, the local church ( the oldest building on the island) was donated and built by...yep, the Irish.. No pub here though...the south eastern part of the island is known as Irish Town- we're everywhere..
After spinning around the island for an hour and listening to the history(zzz...), we were taken around the prison cells by a former political prisoner here. The cell where Mandela spent eighteen years was tiny and here's me complaining a few days ago about not having a TV in my room, while munching on my breakfast buffets.. These prisoners were only given six ounces of food for breakfast..
My hangover was starting to get the better of me and this tour was probably not the wisest to do today, but it was definitely one of the must dos while here so that's another check off the list. Mandela is definitely the man here...with his health deteriorating it will be interesting to see how the country reacts, but from afar may be a better option..
Was planning on catching up on some free home cooking this evening in my cousins girlfriends mothers house, but she lives down in Hout Bay and I can't face that bus journey today... Pizza and Liverpool match within a few meters of my bed seems like a better option- I'm all traveled out for one day..
Finished off the day knocking back a few sundowners( as they say here..)with the other people in the lodge. Some pretty interesting characters staying here, but there was a Belgian couple were only here for tragic personal reasons. Last week their sons girlfriend was killed here and their son very seriously injured so they had to fly over to be with him. Kind of puts everything into perspective when you hear s***e stories like this happening. Luckily their sons injuries are not life threatening anymore so they hope to fly him home later this week.( not a relevant blog update I know).
Others staying here include a Namibian farmer who is terrified of animals, an American who gave up his job with Fox Studios to travel the world selling his own brand of coffee( apparently the best coffee ever, I'll get a bag tomorrow and decide) and a recently retired couple from Amsterdam who are traveling Africa for a year..they were lamping back the tequilas when I hit the nest at 1am..
It's either a trek up Table Mountain or a visit to a township tomorrow. Supposed to cool down to mid twenties- hallelujah..
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