Wonderful experiences across South Africa for SA Specialists 2016 (II)
Robben Island has become synonymous with the imprisonment of political activists such as Robert Sobukwe, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Jacob Zuma, Tokyo Sexwale and many more who had the gall to oppose the Apartheid regime.
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However, it takes visiting Robben Island to know that it is not just a place used to imprison and torture political prisoners, but also a place with over 400 years of history and a place declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Robben Island has been used for many things over the years. The Dutch who named it after seal in their language at one point used it as a leper colony.
The graveyard for lepers is still there today and so are the churches, schools and post office that have served the island lying some seven kilometres from Cape Town.
The team, along with many other tourists, made the 30 minutes or so journey from the Cape Town waterfront by boat to the Island. Our team had the privilege of visiting the prison (which have been turned into a museum) and the cells that housed Nelson Mandela and his comrades as well as convicts as the first part of the tour.
It was a maximum security prison until it was closed down in the late 1990s. The guide who took us round on the first leg was a former prisoner.
The second part of the tour was in a bus with a very knowledgeable tour guide who took us to all the great places on the island that encapsulates its history.
We saw the churches, school, the house where Sobukwe was imprisoned, the limestone quarry site where Mandela and his colleagues cracked stones, the house where guard dogs were kept and many more.
After almost two hours of touring the famous island, the team took the boat back to the mainland of Cape Town to continue the experience.
Table Mountain, Cape Town Bus Tour and Aquarium
The iconic mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town is over 1,084 metres (Ghana’s highest mountain, Afadjato is 885 metres) above sea level and it is one of the most visited places by tourists on the African continent. Several million people have gone up this mountain via a spherical contraption known as the cable car.
The team had lunch at the top before proceeding to explore the flora and fauna of Table Mountain as well as taking a look at the breathtaking scenery from below. There were photo opportunities for the team members as they took in everything the new seventh wonder of nature has to offer its visitors.
When the team descended with the cable car to the landing stage of the mountain, it was time to take the open roof red bus to tour the beautiful city of Cape Town.
The trip from the mountain area through the beach with beautiful whitewashed buildings, across the stadium ended at the world famous Victoria and Albert Waterfront.
The Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront was the next destination of experience by the team from Ghana and Nigeria. The Aquarium has an amazing collection of different kinds of marine life including fishes, giant crabs, variety of sharks, plants and many more. It was a breathtaking experience at such a humongous aquarium where you sometimes feel you are under the sea.
The Aquarium experience brought to a close the site visits in Cape Town. A dinner held in the honour of the team by Southern Sun Waterfront Cape Town would precede a night out at the Cubana by some of the members of the team.
Other members said they were too knackered to go out again leading to the strong ones among the team representing as worthy ambassadors.
Gauteng Province Experiences
Helicopter Ride Across Johannesburg, Night Boat Cruise and Sandton Mall
When the team arrived in the OR Tambo Airport in the afternoon of Saturday, it was right on time to go for a ride in a chopper over the sprawling metropolis of the commercial capital of South African. The 25- member delegation was divided into five each to take turns in the helicopter.
The trips took the different teams to the different suburbs of Johannesburg, including Kempton Park, Sandton, Alexandria, Soweto, Soccer City and down town. It was an amazing experience that gave those who already knew the city a different view of it.
After the helicopter ride, the team drove for another two hours to the Hartebeesport Dam area for a night boat cruise. The night ended with dinner at the African restaurant in Sandton called Homebase. It was Nigerian meal and the gusto from the team in attacking the meals showed how much they’ve missed home.
The team retired to the five star Sandton Hilton Hotel for the night. After breakfast on Sunday and followed by shopping at the close by Sandton Mall, the Ghana team took the Gautrain to the airport enroute to Accra. The Nigerian team followed later to end the South African Tourism’s hosting of its 2016 SA Specialist Graduates.
Members of the team were thankful to SAT for the experience and gave assurance that they will share their story to ensure that many people in their respective countries would travel to South Africa to also experience what they did.
@TheGHMediaGuru