I was astounded to learn that there is a large gay community in Capetown. I had expected it to be very conservative. Homosexuality is illegal in East Africa.
There is a two week gay festival every year in Capetown. I and some of the other volunteers went to the Gay Pride Pageant . It was mainly a lot of transvestites in a beauty pageant modeling bathing suits, fancy clothes, play clothes, etc. There were both "male" and "female" contestants, but all were male. There were also some good dancers and a talented, cross dressing emcee in a beautiful, flowing white gown.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjCPv5mO6M1Lpt_Pm1Ssvu-7N7AI4tja1tyTviVEOXJ1wTDcTXrWHzYT6kXNOtT8mrsq8jjRTvMewQCcCijwxt-skhdfG6GaJuXnXJM9-xnXACDXGBrCLuT3OQocNvQHMXSrGjH36JLU/s320/DSC00218.JPG) |
Waterfront |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkje73KTjjpJlBuy7ZfRVZLaHy-pPTB4QoMlMgH7ITl1wixZ8vIMFASd59McUWBUVnXX2FprPVDFJ6CFt5ElrBi8HatEpuLi5pf8Fm3rlUtqUfpDrujXbSKhVA-F_zb4fDTQUyUaemMg/s320/DSC00219.JPG) |
Waterfront |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DNe-ge99V3kmRNbyOZvc8_FjQia8F_5YySpTPUYqLpOu62bSqsnbe0Kup5BUxPJBQAPeKuyqxeUepVfLQ4Qi86uOZQQO6zzFYqx58pK0eNJrI139UZ0hOBHEDxYMLPJffF7YBqrML8k/s320/DSC00220.JPG) |
Waterfront |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMXXxWMKqVBymJ7FqFU9vE9k9mInw1nxrUAyDAub20zVS7GpUQng_CAmPehh8HjnNBtY3jyQPPn10jhsDPqtrzaDxQ0jSg6Z48eDXjciZWwXTvT1MyCK0OitJTsYMJYjHWSsSnJAcVPU/s320/DSC00222.JPG) |
Robbens Island prison |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDJaokhEga8t4eGVaeVDj-K9blL6-XaV-_Zz2U7ZdQRoCIXygOpUThn_khhasjYqIa-VHDgBdCoxsrbg2JmWo6xixG6ibH1YH3_qOLV1emEuAzUOulknkzoQB9h36ibIM4jVBocQY2_Q/s320/DSC00224.JPG) |
Nelson Mandela's cell |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVwE-Tlg0NA7syz3Jp41tcx3dw7wPcjsEWg5R3GJZpBls1hSZobZLlHaZZOL0VQhjRBKJouFBUzEH1bxZ8kWySSKFmoebyFa9BfHrneX2Ul7xvqy7OUKnxidCO3JV8Ll1KI4SIt1vF3Q/s320/DSC00232.JPG) |
Penguins |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnV7nVpZkkK2F5X6ZTu9ryh6Y2UUSBGfgMG2c1OQ5qF8s1luhjXMyWJS9C8DQfns6Haw9sfijOv3b6pab8SbQV4-orfj62tpTp6eIy757DkeCXVp0NS_CxPkW_iuLEPyP1IOHPc4AvFc/s320/DSC00235.JPG) |
Table Mountain from Robbens Island |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpEKWDYfguYRJf4hMg0ewg__tlh5UNL8dlXD5gFuz5kuuy3EWwMUHrt6ugl-squIuTiluHoYpq8fMBbqSmYdk8yrXGA2Rp_hk09Q5iCeS4-gURercxcyDwbaFhZOJKip9FeuntsBvZnw/s400/DSC00237.JPG) |
Fellow volunteers May from Egypt, Sara from the US, Tabitha from Germany, Chun from Australia, and me |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmQiDJZUHOJG-W_H6dV1opY_NAK5rZCrfthm1kHPq3Obt3cjY8x6YEnMiLjtNQ3ZoyTQmUTr4stQpOV3Viot-Hid5IjilpOhDaqAWQkWkJADa3kP6CItZ5aToBtjDPnsVqm0Z8EtQNnM/s320/DSC00239.JPG) |
Robbens Island lighthouse |
The venue was at the Waterfront, a very built up, touristy area with an aquarium, hotels, shopping centers, boat tours, etc. That afternoon, some of us took a boat 1/2 hour to Robbens Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 26 years in prison. Our tour guide was a man who had actually been imprisoned there. He was arrested but held without charges for 8 months then sentenced to 15 years for "political acts." He told us Mandela took care of a garden in the corner of the walled prison yard and buried his manuscript there. It was found, but he had a copy and it was smuggled out behind the pages of a friend's photo book. We also had a bus tour around the island and saw penguins, cannons from World War II, and the old leper colony site.
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