On Saturday (June 4, 2011) we took a trip to Robben Island, where political prisoners were kept during the apartheid era. A few days earlier, Liam got us all tickets for a guided tour through the prison turned museum. From the Bagley home, we took a mini-bus and train to get to the waterfront. Here are a few photos from along the way!
At the waterfront we grabbed some pizza for lunch and then headed over to get the ferry ride to the island. Unfortunately, the day we went was quite cold and foggy. :(
As we pulled in, we started to see the island, with some strange looking land. We weren't quite sure what it was, but some people guessed it was put in to create the harbor.
At the island, we all boarded buses and were given a tour around the island to various landmarks. We started at a leper graveyard. The island was at one time used to quarantine lepers from the rest of society.
We were next taken to see a few homes that had been used for solitary confinement in the prison.
In the present day, the island is host to a small population of workers, many or all of whom I believe work for the museum. To educate the children of these residents, the island actually has a school.
As we continued on the tour, the guide pointed out this church. I think it was built by the Irish, but I'm afraid I don't really remember what he said about it!
The tour stopped for a quick break to walk around and buy snacks. We took a few photos of the surroundings.
Soon we were back on the buses and were taken to the rock quarry. This rock quarry is well known as the site where political prisoners were forced to work, using only pick and spade. In the quarry, there now stands a small pile of rocks, created by former political prisoners during a reunion.
If my memory serves me, the former political prisoners created this rock pile as their own monument, to remember their time in Robben Island with a sense of victory. They wanted to look back and remember how they had overcome their imprisonment.
We were next taken to a kramat erected in honor of Sayed Abdurahman Moturu. It is a significant religious site that Muslims today will sometimes make a pilgrimage to.
After the kramat, we were dropped off at the entrance to the prison, where we were greeted by another tour guide, a former political prisoner on the island. He took us in, describing the way he was once taken in. Their clothing was taken from them, and they were given new clothes to wear in the prison. He also told us that the quality of clothing varied for colored and black prisoners. This, he said, was an attempt to divide and conquer them.
As we walked down the hall, he pointed out the stairs leading up to the censor's office, where all incoming and outgoing mail was censored. Our guide told us that sometimes you would get a letter with only a few words remaining!
We were next taken to a courtyard where prisoners worked to crush stones from the quarry.
Next to the courtyard were prison cells, including the cell inhabited by Nelson Mandela during his time on Robben Island.
On the way to the next part of the tour, the guide pointed out a soccer field used for a soccer league among the prisoners.
The next part of the tour was a room with several cots used for the prisoners.
The guide walked around and showed us the type of food given to inmates as well as the identification cards used in the prison. Again, the type and amount of food varied between colored and black prisoners.
He also told us that cots were not always used for the prisoners. Instead, they were given floor mats to sleep on.
He charged us to tell the world about what happened in the prison, and the tour ended. We got back on the ferry and headed to the mainland. On the return trip, the sun came out and the fog began to go away.
It was neat to get to visit and tour the famous Robben Island during my time here in South Africa. I thought it was particularly interesting to learn that some former political prisoners even regard this former prison as a sort of university. Over the course of the tour, the guide tolds us that they educated each other in secret, and many left the prison more educated than they were when they entered! I still do not know much of the history of the island and the political prisoners it held. I do, however, hope that in my life I too may be able to make lemonade from lemons.
At the waterfront we grabbed some pizza for lunch and then headed over to get the ferry ride to the island. Unfortunately, the day we went was quite cold and foggy. :(
As we pulled in, we started to see the island, with some strange looking land. We weren't quite sure what it was, but some people guessed it was put in to create the harbor.
At the island, we all boarded buses and were given a tour around the island to various landmarks. We started at a leper graveyard. The island was at one time used to quarantine lepers from the rest of society.
We were next taken to see a few homes that had been used for solitary confinement in the prison.
In the present day, the island is host to a small population of workers, many or all of whom I believe work for the museum. To educate the children of these residents, the island actually has a school.
As we continued on the tour, the guide pointed out this church. I think it was built by the Irish, but I'm afraid I don't really remember what he said about it!
The tour stopped for a quick break to walk around and buy snacks. We took a few photos of the surroundings.
Soon we were back on the buses and were taken to the rock quarry. This rock quarry is well known as the site where political prisoners were forced to work, using only pick and spade. In the quarry, there now stands a small pile of rocks, created by former political prisoners during a reunion.
If my memory serves me, the former political prisoners created this rock pile as their own monument, to remember their time in Robben Island with a sense of victory. They wanted to look back and remember how they had overcome their imprisonment.
We were next taken to a kramat erected in honor of Sayed Abdurahman Moturu. It is a significant religious site that Muslims today will sometimes make a pilgrimage to.
After the kramat, we were dropped off at the entrance to the prison, where we were greeted by another tour guide, a former political prisoner on the island. He took us in, describing the way he was once taken in. Their clothing was taken from them, and they were given new clothes to wear in the prison. He also told us that the quality of clothing varied for colored and black prisoners. This, he said, was an attempt to divide and conquer them.
As we walked down the hall, he pointed out the stairs leading up to the censor's office, where all incoming and outgoing mail was censored. Our guide told us that sometimes you would get a letter with only a few words remaining!
We were next taken to a courtyard where prisoners worked to crush stones from the quarry.
Next to the courtyard were prison cells, including the cell inhabited by Nelson Mandela during his time on Robben Island.
On the way to the next part of the tour, the guide pointed out a soccer field used for a soccer league among the prisoners.
The next part of the tour was a room with several cots used for the prisoners.
The guide walked around and showed us the type of food given to inmates as well as the identification cards used in the prison. Again, the type and amount of food varied between colored and black prisoners.
He also told us that cots were not always used for the prisoners. Instead, they were given floor mats to sleep on.
He charged us to tell the world about what happened in the prison, and the tour ended. We got back on the ferry and headed to the mainland. On the return trip, the sun came out and the fog began to go away.
It was neat to get to visit and tour the famous Robben Island during my time here in South Africa. I thought it was particularly interesting to learn that some former political prisoners even regard this former prison as a sort of university. Over the course of the tour, the guide tolds us that they educated each other in secret, and many left the prison more educated than they were when they entered! I still do not know much of the history of the island and the political prisoners it held. I do, however, hope that in my life I too may be able to make lemonade from lemons.
Those weird things you saw in the artificial island are actually really common in Japan (I know what they are from my Japanese history courses). They are designed to prevent erosion and to break waves that hit them, so it would make sense if they were put on top of an artificial sand bar that creates the harbor. Anyway, I had no idea that the prisons during Apartheid were like that. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete