Catching up on SA history

Paul gets twitchy when the sun is out. He feels very cheated to be indoors when the weather is good but there was a blanket over the mountain so I insisted on visiting the District 6 Museum. I’d never been and always wanted to and I’m glad we did. It was really interesting and describes South African history well. It also has a very
good time line that helps to get your head around the sequence of events.

After that we went to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront. It’s a huge tourist trap and we both felt a bit out of sorts with the bright lights and consumer fest going on. This didn’t stop us enjoying our day there!

We also went to Robben Island. When you are a local I think you tend to neglect doing things, assuming that it’s always there and you’ll do it one day… Again, I’m really glad I finally went.

The thing that struck me about the visit Robben Island was not so much Madiba’s story but the story of the other people, thousands of South Africans, who were involved in the struggle against apartheid. I couldn’t help feel very emotional. We all seem so focus on investing in tomorrow and the children of the future but those who where children and teenagers at the time of the struggle have been some what forgotten and even considered a menace? They have missed out on being normal teenagers and now struggle to make sense of their lives. It’s a complex story and
made my heart ache.

I would suggest reading Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom” before visiting Robben Island because it makes the place come to life.