Showing posts with label Nelson Mandela. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nelson Mandela. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Freedom is not free!

 One of the main reasons for coming to Cape Town was to go to Roden Island. But it was not to be, as the sea was too rough.

I felt like crying, but strongly believe all things happen  for the greater good, so know all will be well tomorrow.

So we pushed things forward and took on the museums today.

It was wonderful and because  today is Human Rights Day, a public holiday, entry was free.

Now, I am by no means an expert on museums, but have been to a few in my short life, and this Iziko Slave Lodge is by far one of the best I have ever visited, in terms of information and displays.



I don’t know if it was deliberate but I never detected a pause between slavery and apartheid. 

For the struggle for freedom and human rights in South Africa never really ceased with abolition.


I was a bit disappointed to see that Winnie Mandela was written out of the history though.

 For yes, she found other lovers when Nelson was incarcerated. But she was human wasn’t she?

The fact is though, without her non-stop years of struggle, his name would not have remained on the front pages throughout history.

My view!

Anyway I was overwhelmed that my favorite Reggae artist, the late great Peter Tosh, ❤️was memorialized in the section outlining the important role music had played in the struggle .


This was in a room dedicated to the role of music in the struggle for freedom and throughout, South African Freedom songs are played non stop in the background. 

There is so much to talk about I just don’t know where to start!😊
Another thing , I had just recently learnt that since slaves had no identity, the names they were given in South Africa represented the month they were brought to these terrible shores.



Another room was dedicated to that era.


They also had a comprehensive map showing where the  slaves were brought from and the route they traveled to get here.


Then there was a room displaying the weapons the white people brought versus what the invaded people had at their disposal.

African weapons 


The white man’s arsenal.



Another thing I loved was how they tied in Egyptian history into Africa, for that’s where it belongs. 

However, some revisionists would have you believe Egypt is no where close to Africa.

It took me a total of 23 hours to get here, but this visit to the Iziko Slave Lodge and the Cape of Good Hope (so far) made it more than worth the effort. 




Kids perform outside Iziko Slave Lodge. 

Don’t believe me, just pay a visit and see if you agree.

MEMORIES 




























The street outside 

Friday, March 17, 2023

Kirstinbosh Gardens

 I cannot believe I slept til almost noon today.😡That’s what jet lag does to you. 

Still got to take the Hop On Hop Off bus and spend some time at the Gardens. 

Entrance to the gardens 

This Botanical Garden is quite an interesting place in Cape Town, but in the true sense, it is not a botanical garden anymore but rather a conservation center for plants. 

One view of Table Top Mountain 

It sits on 1300 acres of land below the impressive and ever-present 10, 000 ft Table Top Mountain. 

There is a section dedicated to the great Nelson Mandela. 

Castle Rock peak

As I said, they are into conservation and collect species from all over the world which face extinction. They are hoping to propagate them for posterity.

One that I learnt a bit about is the Cycad, a specie of   The Saga palm which we have in Jamaica. 

Young Cycad with the sculpture of a dinosaur on top

It is supposed to be the most endangered life form in earth, so has become a target for smugglers. 

Those in the gardens have chips in them to allow recognition if they are stolen. 

Problem is, you have to find them for the chip to work!

The Cycad is supposed to have been around from the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth.


As I listened to the ongoing tale about this ancient specie, I recalled doing a tour of a section of Miami Beach where the rich and famous have holiday homes. 

One that was pointed out was owned by the doctor who developed Viagra.

 He had the most beautiful palms in front of his lavish home and the guide did say he imported them all from South Africa.

 Hmm. It had me wondering today if those were some of the stolen trees?

The Silver Tree grows best the closer it gets to the top of the mountain. 

It is absolutely beautiful.

The Silver Tree

There is also a swinging bridge/walkway to enable you to get a better view of the tree canopies.



It’s made flexible to prevent the steel underneath from breaking.

This young King Protea will be in full bloom in 2 months

The King Protea is the national flower of South Africa 

Memories 








A section of 12 Apostles Mountain 




 


An Aloe Vera  tree planted in 1867. Africa has 7 types of aloe Vera trees

 


View of a section of Cape Town on a cloudy day