CWP Day 4

It’s 5pm and I’m about to dash off for another reception with the hosts of the Franschhoek literary festival.

The day started with a trip to Robben Island, the Judges had finished their deliberations, and could finally come out to play. They were all giddy with excitement and glad their task was over, but still pretty tight lipped about their choices though, which is when I wished for the power of Matt Parkman. Heroes fans know whom I’m referring to. ☺ This is the quarry where Mandela and his fellow prisoners worked.

The trip to the Island – which in my ignorance, I thought was another Alcatraz – has been an emotional one. All I can say about the excursion, is that I’m truly humbled by the human spirit. Our guides were former inmates and this added poignancy to the tour. One of them admitted to blowing up a building and injuring 53 people, for his crime he was sentenced to 18 years. You might say a sentence he richly deserved, but did his father deserve to be shot eight times because he wanted to visit his son in jail? Mandela’s cell. He survived the assassination attempt, but ended up in a wheelchair. The three men who committed this atrocity are running million dollar companies and living large. This is South Africa. Does reconciliation really work? Can one really truly forgive such crimes especially when the perpetuators go unpunished?

After the visit it was straight onto the buses and onward bound to Franchhoek. Waiting on the bus was another fabulous picnic, after which I settled down for a snooze. I figured I’d catch a glimpse of the countryside on the way back on Sunday. Sleep is dragging me under and I’m no longer making sense even to myself. Before I forget, the reception was good, dinner was better and I’m getting better at introducing myself and talking about nothing. ☺ Sx