Just when I'm getting fed up with work and moaning that I've had no overseas trips since 2005, I get asked to pop overseas for a few days to attend a conference - in Capetown!
Now you'll already know my affinity for South Africa (of if not, have a look at http://www.turpin.demon.co.uk/Africa_2002.html) so I didn't take much persuading, even if it was hard to leave Ellie at home (but not that difficult - all it took was a promise for us both to go back again next year!). Travelling overnight, I arrived Monday and left Thursday, which must go down as one of my shortest trips to another hemisphere, but it was still rewarding. The first two days were hard work and, being based in the City area by the conference centre, I could hardly see Table Mountain for hotel blocks -I might have been in Canary Wharf for all I could see of Capetown. But after a hectic working Wednesday morning, our hosts took us out for the afternoon - to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned. Apart from seeing the prison and other grim sights, we also had a talk from one of his fellow prisoners - which was an amazing experience but depressing nonetheless. I had a free day on Thursday, so took the opportunity to visit the city centre and then walked to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. It was very much as I remembered from 2002 with lots of shops, restaurants and bars - and a bit too touristy in some areas. But I did come across this new memorial, which had been erected in 2005 to honour South Africa's four Nobel Peace laureates: the late Chief Albert Luthuli, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former president FW de Klerk and of course Nelson Mandela. And that's Table Mountain in the background of course. Just to prove I was there!
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