"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

When we awoke on Saturday, in the poring rain and gail force winds, and set off to CapeTown down Sir Lowry's pass in the blinding fog. It was a wonder, if we would ever make it across the 13km stretch of sea from Cape Town to Robben Island.

Arriving a half hour early, like instructed. We ended up waiting a while longer, as an announcement came over the loud speaker, 'Sorry, but there is a delay, while we clean the vessel'. This should have been a warning to us, but we boarded unaware of what was before us.  An awful crossing, as we jumped over the waves, rocking back and forth and side to side; slowly reducing in numbers and turning more and more pallor, nevertheless we made it!

When we arrived, we borded a bus, and where taken on a 35 min, tour of the island. Or tour guide cleverly incorporated his vast amount of knowledge with a great sense of humor, which made for interesting learning. 

The first stop was to the 'Lepers Graveyard'. As Leprosy was thought to be contagious, people with Leprosy where bought to Robben Island, to keep them separate from others inorder to stop the disease spreading. Those who died, and had families who could afford to pay for a burial and headstone did so, and those who didn't had their ashes scattered under the trees. 

Next we stopped at the isolation unit, where the leader of the PAC, Robert Sobukwe was incarcerated for 9 years.  When pass laws where created during the apartheid, inorder to separate the population and limit severely the movements of the non-white. The blacks where ordered to carry their don pass documents everywhere they went, a similar idea to the star of david during world war two. Failure to do so resulted in arrest. Any white person, even a child could ask to see a persons pass documents. Sobukwe lead in a unique way, and spread the word via his political followers for people to fill the prisons, but failing to produce their documents. Sobukwe, was unable to communicate with anyone when incarcerated. It was thought that by keeping him separated from others, he would be unable to lead. Behind the isolation unit, was dog kennels. Ironically the dogs kennels where twice the size of the cells in solitary confinement, where Mandela was in prisoned. 

After learning a lot about an instrumental political leader, who i had not heard about before. We continued driving to the 'Lime quarry'. At the lime quarry, the inmates worked long hard hours (8 hrs in winter and 9 hrs in summer). They worked with no more than 5 primitive tools, 1 being their bear hands. Their hard work was suposed to last for 6months, and in order to cover the buildings in lime wash, and produce building blocks. However the work last for years, until inmates began to be released in 1991. The Lime quarry acquired the name, ' the university'. This is because it was a place, where the political prisoners could communicate with out the prison gards being able to hear. So that the guards, didn't assume that the men where escaping; they ate, work and relived themselves all in the same place. When The ex prisoners returned after the apartheid, the men gathered at the university, and spoke of memories. Then silently, Mandela walked away from the group, picked up a stone and placed it on the ground. One by one the men followed, and the pile of stones grew in memory of what they stood for, and the time they spent incarcerated for their beliefs. The pile of stones still stands today.

Past the hospital, which was run by the Irish, we drove to the edge of the island. We had a short break, to refresh and then we heard stories of escapes. A total of four in the history of Robben Island, all unsuccessful. One man, swam the 13km to Cape town, to be captured and returned to Robben Island as soon as he got out of the sea. Two years later he escaped again, in the same way, with the same outcome. 

This was the end of our driven tour. We where greeted by a former inmate, who guided us around the B section of the maximum security prison. He spoke of the group of which he was part of , and the torture which occurred to them before they arrived on Robben Island. The cell that we where in, would have held 30 men, and until 1975 they slept on the floor.

Our guide, talking form experience. Talked about life in prison, and what it was like for a young adult. He explained about the segregation within prison, and the differing meals determined by the colour of your skin.  He talked about how all the inmates, taught one another. Many of the inmates where illiterate, and they gradually learnt to read and write on the paper left over from cement bags. He then explained that nothing was private when talking in the cells, as each was wired with a one way intercom system, so that the officers could eves drop.

Unfortunately, as our tour had started late, we where running out of time. We left section B in a bit of a hurry, as we rushed to see Mandela's cell. It was shown to us, exactly as it was until 1975 when beds where bought into the cells. The tiny cell, of 6x4m at the most contained a bucket / toilet and a tiny desk, with some blankets and a bit of foam to sleep on.  After walking through solitary confinement, we took the walk to freedom, as the men would have down in 1991. 

"The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

Skurting past the gift shop, on the walk to re board the boat, for yet another sickening crossing. We where left feeling thoughtful, about the political situation that South Africa was in- not so many years ago. Even after the official end of the apartheid, there is still a visible divide within South Africa. Although the day we visited the island, was dark and gloomy and the crossing was less than ideal, i cant imagine visiting such a place in beautiful weather.

I struggle to understand how people can live on the island, especially former inmates. But thinking back, to what our first guide said- Robben Island, has not left as a horrible reminder but as a statement of what the peoples' inprisonment ment, and will continue to mean. 

"Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves."