January 2009

Robben Iceland

Last Sunday we were on the legendary Robben Island Iceland.
The island is a former prison island off the Atlantic coast of Cape Town, about twelve miles away.

was famous for the island by Nelson Mandela, who spent 18 of his 27 during the apartheid years in prison on the island. But in the 16th Century it was used because of its ideal location as accommodation for the disabled, the sick and prisoners. Escape attempts were because of the distance to the land and the cold, dangerous current practically hopeless.

We started the trip on a catamaran from the newly-ADAPTED Harbour Centre Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. After a rather turbulent ride, just before the landing-pier of the island, we saw the Table Mountain blurred only in the distant haze.

At the entrance to the island, which has since been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the famous gate, which had to go through each convict.
The first part of the tour went on a bus on the island while a guide explained to us the buildings and places of the island.

take the lead within the prison wing Quietly only prisoners and guards.
It was kind of unreal, in the corridors of the block running around B, on concrete, on which people have already been beaten, people were crying, were mad, and broke ...
The courtyards are now grown and there is an all "nice" before ... no comparison to Dachau and Theresienstadt!

Mandela's cell is small and unimaginably inhumane poor in the facility. It is hard to imagine that lived right here on this about six square meters of a man - eighteen years Country - and then the first black president was in South Africa. Today it is one fact among the most famous people in the world. - Irgentwie unreal.

Real was our guide who led us through the Gefängis and told from the life.
He was an old but vigorous man, still strong - although with a few ticks - but very authentic. He was jailed seven years on Robben Iceland, like a long time worked in the kitchen and brought Mandela even the food.
He was imprisoned because he was the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) followed. This was a major South African anti-apartheid liberation movement and is still today a minor political party. In 1959, the PAC formed as a splinter group of the African National Congress (ANC) of some former members who were seeking the most peaceful and not at all breeds targeted policy of the ANC were in agreement and a more radical, pure black African organization.

The encounter with the Exhäftling was - although it only for routine and one of thousands - very impressive, exciting and moving.
As with our history, the witnesses differ here by and by there. You have to listen
man as long as they can tell yet.

holidays end - finally!

spits me Slowly the whirlpool that has caught me and kept us in the last few weeks again and we could almost come to rest, to relax, to normal.

But the event brought to an abrupt end today of regeneration, but more on that later.

was during the just over seven-week summer holiday in South Africa in Baphumelele "high season". Then all
are about 160 children (up to a few who were able to go on holiday with the families) in Baphumelele "locked up" on a plot of just 150 x 25 meters. This as few stupid ideas in this, for the children very boring, time evolution, we have been encouraged to volunteer, a holiday program off the ground, where everyone - regardless of whether 5 or 15 - it is spoken. With several small events and workshops such as baking, crafts, painting, dancing, singing, games and make a few trips we have tried to make the day for a few hours varied.

Because of the neighborhood, which is not only crime but also by South-typical reckless drivers very dangerous, could We unfortunately do not go out - there are natural anyway. Of course we have our holiday
program sometimes more and sometimes less successfully hammer out, especially since even the normal work almost as ran on as before. to
The experience so closely with the children to be together, play, crafts and just have fun (which is not in line with our normal business day), was incredibly beautiful. Exhausting every morning was the only pressure that even possible, all must be busy as well. In addition, two of us during the holidays.

had over Christmas I already reported. New Year's Eve and New Year is here or not so exciting. We were all in Cape Town and it was there a huge party. The lighting of fireworks is not custom in South Africa, so far as it did only a modest fireworks in the city. The celebration itself was beautiful, but it was no different than usual ... only with significantly more people.

is now here the height of summer arrived. Sweat and sweltering heat in the township are commonplace. Music on every street corner and fruit sellers ... Children play outside and hospitals are overcrowded, even with the new fear of cholera in Zimbabwe, it has been done already to Khayelitsha! Auto avalanches roll through Cape Town enjoy in the direction of Camps Bay to the hot summer days at the beach! Everywhere you see black smoke in the sky from burning huts and white of wildfires ... you can hear sirens her from the highway ... many accidents are happening the days. I had to drive around a lot and bring patients to hospitals for children, buy things for the children's home and collect donations from time to time. Above all, we had many emergencies with children who had in the emergency department of the city near Red Cross Children's Hospital will be brought.

fruit seller on the roadside

often seen scenes roadside

Me on the way to the hospital examination appointment with Sibahle (Sibachle) .

hospital visit with Lukholo. If one has any fun together, which sometimes six hours of waiting time are really the horror!

I was and still am - even through the holiday program - exhausted and longing me to leave, had no more for nearly six months and was only the last few days off something!
create Hopefully I finally bit me once more to take care of my loved ones. So far I have not written a single letter, and my email box no longer looked at for weeks.
Basically, you can turn off here anyway never never never. Constantly new impressions on a patter, there is no time to revue-let happen, but it never bored.
be
But in a week Joan and I are going for 8 days, first to Johannesburg to visit friends and then in the Kingdom of Lesotho. It is an enclave in South Africa, which is the size of Belgium. No point is deeper than 1000 meters and is known for its breathtaking mountains. Therefore, the country is also called "Kingdom of the Sky".

The landscape in Lesotho is lonely and breathtaking.

In South Africa it goes fast sometimes long distances, we will travel almost 4000km and but I'm discovering more about the country and not about to relax on the beach all the time .... then coming to South Africa!

But tonight at 2:15 when we came back from Cape Town, was it over with the slow-to-get-rest.

In We were burgled!
four of us (not me) sleep through the Clemens-Kitchen ". As one of us opened the door he saw a big mess in front of him, started open doors and an open window, the light was too!
were stolen including a laptop, digital camera, a lot of cash, jewelry, credit cards. We immediately informed the police and opened a case against unknown persons. The police still investigating the crime scene at night and the next morning and fingerprints taken. Dissolve the theft may never - let alone show up for the stolen items back. Really hard it has taken one of us, there are almost exclusively his things

the upper floor of the White House four of us live by volunteers, here was also broken into.

It makes you a sad, when you get robbed, even though it makes a service that is good for the community and it makes a furious, the thieves probably never be able to account. On the other hand, you never know the hardship that has been perpetrated it.
is a pity it only to the personal documents on your computer such as pictures, letters, files, etc.

Anyway, life goes on, exciting and interesting if not always beautiful!

greetings Freddie

Here are some impressions from the last weeks: