Nelson Mandela's Legacy

Cape Town from Robben Island

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve, but if need be, an ideal for which I am prepared to die."  

Nelson Mandela.

Mandela's Cell

Mr. Mandela's legacy is a democratic country of extraordinary beauty and potential.  Though already the most wealthy and developed country in the continent, South Africa has a ways to go before achieving his dream.  Like most of the people here I am hopeful men and women of Mandela's vision will lead this country to its full potential in the 21st century.

Rand and I have enjoyed three quiet days since the our travel mates left for home.  As promised we slept in the first morning, had a leisurely breakfast and gathered our dirty clothes (everything we brought except what we were wearing that day) and took them to the laundry across the street.  We took the bus to the lively commercial area of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront then walked to the city center and Green Market Square.  We walked until our feet hurt and greatly enjoyed the pure joy of exploring on our own.

Green Market Square

With fresh, clean clothing we left the hotel on Friday for the boat to Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela and many other political prisoners of apartheid were held for many years.  Our guide was a former prisoner who could talk to us from the perspective of personal knowledge.  It was a sobering experience.  We returned to the hotel late afternoon for an early dinner and evening as the transport arrived at 3:45 AM this morning to take us to our shark diving experience.

Our Shark Dive Boat

What we saw (not our photo)

Doing a great white shark dive has been on Rand's bucket list as long as I've known him.  It's not been on mine.  At first I thought I'd let him go on his own, then I decided I'd go along and watch from the boat, but ultimately I concluded I couldn't bear the ribbing I knew I'd take the rest of my life if I didn't do it.  So at 7:00 this morning we donned wet suits, climbed into a steel cage attached to the side of our boat, put on goggles and a breathing regulator in our mouths, submerged into the icy waters and watched as the great whites swam by.  Well, "swam by" is a bit of an understatement as they were thrashing and leaping out of the water trying to get to the bait our boatman was using to chum them in.  One even ran headlong into the corner of the cage.  Turns out that with us securely inside the cage, we found the experience thrilling but not scary.  Now that's done and off Rand's bucket list and on my bragging list.

Tomorrow we leave for Tanzania, where we will enter the "real Africa" - the part with greater poverty, few paved roads, and few white people other  tourists.