I remember my first visit to Cape Town looking at that island and thinking why is South Africa doing this.
I remember on my last visit going on a slightly crazy evening drive through a black township. We had to keep our heads down. Afterwards we visited a bar where one of Warren's friends was a banned person. I remember walking up to meet him and Warren suggesting that we back off as these two burly looking guys approached. They were the State watchers... Not sure of the correct name.
I was stopped short at the award Dede received that used the term “non-racial democracy.” The implications are enormous. Is it really? Is that how it’s all turned out? Is that what the U.S. purports to be?
In 1995 I lived next door to a white family who “escaped” from their compound in Johannesburg, where they could not let their children play outside the walls. So their 8 year old son was thrilled with being able to ride his bike on our neighborhood streets. What was the political situation at that time?
PS: This family had a recipe for curry that was the best I’d ever had. It was supposedly a local recipe and was quite red in color. 20 years later I still think about it and regret not having a copy. It was spectacular in scrambled eggs!
Anne and Jean are right Warren, your writing style draws the reader in and then shares the amazing research you do in each of your articles. Couple that with your own personal experiences and the interviews you do with fellow travelers and guides makes for fascinating reading and lessons for life. Enjoy your last several days there and I do hope you leave with a vow to return soon, it’s clearly a happy place for you to be.
Hello Warren, from the other side of the planet! I hope you're having an absolutely wonderful time back home visiting your sister and seeing the changes since your last trip home. I am SO enjoying your posts for multiple reasons. First of all, I'm awed by your professionalism, attention to detail and the fact that somehow you can find the time to link articles and videos to your postings. It's a great treat to get to see your journalism skills in action.
My son and I were in SA in August 2016. You're rubbing off on me! I wanted to be exact, so I had to scroll through a jillion pictures up in the Cloud to find exactly when we went. Robben Island was definitely a highlight, especially since our tour guide was a man who was imprisoned there with Nelson Mandala. Horrifyingly fascinating. We met the young guard who became Mandala's friend and he signed a copy of the book he wrote about his experiences with him on the island and after his release. Unfortunately, I passed the book on to my son, he passed it on to his brother and, you've probably guessed it by now, no one knows where it is.
The story of how we got to the island involves 1 friendly, knowledgeable, whispering secretly in a corner tour guide, 1 tour guide willing to break the law and 2 American tourists who had no problem doing a few dodgy things to get there. We have stories to exchange, Warren! I'm hoping you'll let me treat you to coffee/tea, etc. so we can discuss all things SA. After you're unjetlagged, of course.
I wish you a very boring, totally uneventful trip home. I think the travel karma gods owe you one!
I remember my first visit to Cape Town looking at that island and thinking why is South Africa doing this.
I remember on my last visit going on a slightly crazy evening drive through a black township. We had to keep our heads down. Afterwards we visited a bar where one of Warren's friends was a banned person. I remember walking up to meet him and Warren suggesting that we back off as these two burly looking guys approached. They were the State watchers... Not sure of the correct name.
I was stopped short at the award Dede received that used the term “non-racial democracy.” The implications are enormous. Is it really? Is that how it’s all turned out? Is that what the U.S. purports to be?
In 1995 I lived next door to a white family who “escaped” from their compound in Johannesburg, where they could not let their children play outside the walls. So their 8 year old son was thrilled with being able to ride his bike on our neighborhood streets. What was the political situation at that time?
PS: This family had a recipe for curry that was the best I’d ever had. It was supposedly a local recipe and was quite red in color. 20 years later I still think about it and regret not having a copy. It was spectacular in scrambled eggs!
Anne and Jean are right Warren, your writing style draws the reader in and then shares the amazing research you do in each of your articles. Couple that with your own personal experiences and the interviews you do with fellow travelers and guides makes for fascinating reading and lessons for life. Enjoy your last several days there and I do hope you leave with a vow to return soon, it’s clearly a happy place for you to be.
Wow! Brilliantly written Warren! I had forgotten that you intended to visit the island! Very interesting indeed!
Hello Warren, from the other side of the planet! I hope you're having an absolutely wonderful time back home visiting your sister and seeing the changes since your last trip home. I am SO enjoying your posts for multiple reasons. First of all, I'm awed by your professionalism, attention to detail and the fact that somehow you can find the time to link articles and videos to your postings. It's a great treat to get to see your journalism skills in action.
My son and I were in SA in August 2016. You're rubbing off on me! I wanted to be exact, so I had to scroll through a jillion pictures up in the Cloud to find exactly when we went. Robben Island was definitely a highlight, especially since our tour guide was a man who was imprisoned there with Nelson Mandala. Horrifyingly fascinating. We met the young guard who became Mandala's friend and he signed a copy of the book he wrote about his experiences with him on the island and after his release. Unfortunately, I passed the book on to my son, he passed it on to his brother and, you've probably guessed it by now, no one knows where it is.
The story of how we got to the island involves 1 friendly, knowledgeable, whispering secretly in a corner tour guide, 1 tour guide willing to break the law and 2 American tourists who had no problem doing a few dodgy things to get there. We have stories to exchange, Warren! I'm hoping you'll let me treat you to coffee/tea, etc. so we can discuss all things SA. After you're unjetlagged, of course.
I wish you a very boring, totally uneventful trip home. I think the travel karma gods owe you one!