Robben Isalnd

Woooo today was another lonnng and pretty emotionally moving day!  Today we started off by visiting Robben Island, the prison camp where Nelson Mandela was held.  Upon our arrival, Corvell coincidently ran into one of his old students who work on the island and we were able to get a private tour.  We got a private bus ride and were able to get out and walk around at all the sites.  It was a very inspirational experience as we learned about the use of the island and it most notorious use as a political prison camp during the apartheid.  there were actually 5 phases of the camp, first it was used as an occasional settlement before 1652, it was then a colonial prison between 1657-1921, then it was used as a hospital from 1846-1931.  There is only one remaining building on the island from this time.  Individuals who were suffering from leprosy were exiled to the island along with any other handicap or infected individual, blind, deaf, need glasses, flu..anything that could be found.  After the use as a hospital the island became a naval base until 1959 and then finally became the political prison base from 1961-1996.  There were many levels of security for prisoners depending on their reasoning for prisonment and also pertaining to their race..colored, black.. Prisoners were only allowed to see visitors of 30 minutes, once, every 6 months, and the ferry to the island only came one time, so if you missed the boat...you missed the boat.  Letter were sent however, censored strictly of their content and many times not delivered especially to the higher security prisoners.  of the most famous prisoners and political activists was Nelson Mandela.  Since his release and the ending of the apartheid the island has been constructed into a place of learning, a museum and a historical landmark.  They actually have turned some of the cells and recreational areas into classrooms and lecture halls for a post grad education program.  They want the island to not be remembered for its brutality and struggles but for the hope and pride and success it represents.  We also got the privilege to be given tours and spoke with a former prisoner of the island for 11 years.  He explained to us the living and the harsh realities of the camps.  He explained how individuals were separated by level of crime as well as by race.  To represent the hope and togetherness of the prisoners they created énsebuelas’ (not at all sure on the spelling).  This is a symbolic collection of rocks piled high laid by each prisoner as a way to show strength and growth.  We then made on of our own.  We each collected a rock and were able to say something as we laid them together in a pile, I laid my rock for new experiences.  It was at this moment that I realized how great of an experience this trip is about to be.  I am surrounded by some incredible people that I already feel like I have known for years, we have been able to connect and relate to things stirring up thought and emotion that are truly entering and motivating and this experience will be one of a lifetime and I am becoming more and more motivated to become a teacher and share such profound knowledge and history.  Ok getting chocked up, that’s enough about Robben Island and it’s getting late I’m the only one still up…i will share the rest of the day in tomorrow’s blog…sorry if it’s a long one, you know how I feel about those…

G’night