Found the limitation to the blog page so here’s the second part.

Our next stop was Victor Verster Prison, now known as Drakenstein Correctional Centre.  Didn’t get to go inside but that’s probably a good thing.

You can go in…but coming out???

Mandela was sentenced to 27 years in prison for anti-government actions associated with his protest efforts against apartheid. The last 14 months of his sentence were served at Victor Verser Prison in a three-bedroom cottage on the prison grounds. Very different from his first prison, Robben Island, where he stayed in a cell that was 7×9 feet. So small he could not lie down flat on his bed. He was there for 18 years.

Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his efforts leading to the peaceful end of apartheid. He was elected and served as president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Mandela was the first black president of South Africa, and the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.

Mandela was instrumental in the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a political system that separated the population by race. The social and economic repercussions from this system are still being felt today. Entire areas of South Africa were made available for white settlement by forced relocation. After the fall of apartheid, blacks were allowed to move back into these forced removal areas but could not because they couldn’t afford the housing prices. In a sense, apartheid is still in effect in these areas.

Mandela died December 5, 2013 at the age of 95.

Now on to the penguins, or more correctly, African penguins. Yep, only penguin that lives in Africa and each has a distinctive set of dots on their belly much like a human fingerprint. But they also don’t nest on ice flows. Instead, these little guys (gals) make their nest by burrowing into the sand to nest and lay eggs. What else? They are very quick swimmers, reaching speeds of 19 miles per hour! But the most amazing fact is how far down they can dive, close to 400 feet, just to get a sardine! Plenty of pics…

Can you see a face in the rocks? Me neither!

African penguins