Robben Island - September 5, 2007

(1) Pissing rain and soaked to the skin.

(2) What can you say? I think I’ll just let the recorded testimonies do the talking. You’ll see in here soon.

(3) Tears…but not of sadness. Tears of joy for the human spirit. Forgiveness? Maybe.

(4) Last night here. SAJ, thank you. I love you. You are an easy travel companion. A joy and a challenge.

(5) Quickly buying gifts for family and friends. Using phone card minutes. Packing, watching soccer. Dreading the flight home and 24 hours on the plane.

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Robben Island:

Prelude to "Tell the truth and shame the devil"

Robben Island is an amazing place. We went on a rainy cold day, traveling across choppy seas (about a four foot swell). You could see the island in the distance, and as we got closer I wondered what that ride must have been like for the heroes that made it, they were shackled below deck in darkness.

The first political prisoner in South Africa was a man named Robert Sobukwe. He spent all of his confinement alone, and he was considered such a threat that he was not allowed to speak to anyone, for years. He is the beginning of a long chain of heroic people who eventually brought down Apartheid.

Here are two quotes about Robben Island by two of the most famous men who were there:

"In the struggle Robben Island was known as the 'university.' Not because of what we learned from books, but because of what we learned from each other." - Nelson Mandela

"The most inhospitable outpost of Apartheid." - Oliver Tambo

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Click to view a larger map of Robben Island:

More pictures from Robben Island:

With Thulani, a former prisoner at Robben Island:

Jack Reporting #5

(1) Boys and girls… I just found a mall! So western…so modern…so comfortable. And it's at the pier that takes you to Robben Island. How perfect.

(2) We meet Ivan and Fanny. They are wonderful to us. SAJ will elaborate.

(3) We take naps every day. God, we are old.

(4) Dinner at an Irish Bar in South Africa.

(4-a) The doorman says “ no smoking” but everyone is smoking. It’s just like Summers Place or High Tide.

(4-b) Beautiful Africans dressed to the nines. I mean really beautiful men and women in stylish attires. It could be SF or NYC.

(4-c) Moroccan architecture and sturdy furniture.

(4-d) High tech sound system with all kinds of music. Not just “Oh, Danny Boy.”

(4-e) Menu that features “Irish Stew.” Everything else is sports bar food. We settle for the appetizer platter of ribs, buffalo wings, chicken strips, fried mushrooms, potatoes, and onion rings with various sauces.

(4-f) Most beautiful smiles here.

(5) Going to bed early. I have church tomorrow.