About an hour ago(11:23pm South African time) I returned from an overnight on Robben Island. It, I believe will forever remain as one of the most empowering, moving, terrifying and amazing times in my life. The history of the island stretches back to the 1400s. The feeling of apartheid are still felt there, the island is full of raw emotion. We were an extremely lucky group of SAS students. All other SAS run trips to Robben Island were canceled because of the ferry breaking, however, we were still able to go b/c the private boats that were hired to act as ferries for the two weeks were running in the mornings which was when we would be both arriving at Robben Island and also departing the next morning. We were also extremely fortunate b/c we were the first such group to ever have the opportunity to sleep on the island. We are forever a part of history.
The first part of our tour was a walking tour, we learned about the history of the island up until Apartheid and the island became a prison. We saw so much in about two hours. We saw where the leper cemetery and learned about them and why they were there, we saw all sorts of trees and plants that were not indigenous to the area and learned what problems they were causing, we saw massive guns that were there for protection during WWII, we saw peacocks and penguins and rabbits and other animals. We also went to a home that belonged to a political detainee, who was actually not a prisoner so he was given "privileges," we saw the quarry where prisoners worked as a part of hard labor. We then went to lunch in one of the buildings that was built when it was a prison and used for those in charge.
After lunch, we went on a tour with Coach, an ex-political prisoner. He showed us the cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his life, he even let us into the cell. This was an honor for us, very few people will ever get the opportunity to do that. However because of the size of our group and who we were, he allowed us to go in. We then walked around other parts of the prison, read stories of the prisoners who were in there. I read of one man who took two years to get a approval to have a brush, another who was there with his brother whom he had not seen in months, and another who had a stapler and it was his most treasured possession. After we left that part we went to another cell block, we walked down to the end of the aisle and he turned on a light and said "this is where i spent six and a half years of my life." We saw history, we looked history in the eyes. We spent no more than 3 or 4 minutes there, yet that was enough.
At the end of our tour, we went back to where we would be staying for the night, the "multiple purpose center." The reason i put it in quotes is because really, it was the medium security prison. No new name can change that. After about an hour of freshening up and also playing soccer with some of those that lived on the island, we went to dinner. Coach was there. There were tables of four and I sat with three people. After dinner, I went over to the table where Coach was and joined in on the conversation. Of the 22 that went on the trip, 9 of us stayed in that house until 11am. For two hours we sat and heard him speak. We asked questions and he gave us the most honest answers I have ever heard a man say. I say "heard" because I did not necessarily listen. Two of us were able to record 99% of our conversation. For that reason, I took in what I could. Yet, it is impossible to process everything he said.
Our interport lecturer for South Africa is an extraordinary man by the name of Louis Patler. Google him...see what you can learn. Fortunately I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with him, he told myself and others in the group not to process what we are seeing and doing and to simply take it all in. This is what I have done since that day and what I will be doing from now on. In a sense it is for survival. It would be impossible for me to understand all I have seen and done and not go crazy. For me, this voyage has changed drastically in just a few days, and now it has been even more enhanced by a trip that was just over 24 hours.
