The Rock of Gibraltar

March 14th--Today we left the apartment about 8:15, got a taxi to the bus station in San Pedro and then got on a bus at 8:40 heading for La Linea. After several stops, we arrived at La Linea a little before 10:00. We had about a 5 minute walk from the bus station to the Gibraltar border. Picture crossing into Mexico...it was a very similar experience. All they wanted to see was that we had a passport, but they didn´t look at them too closely. To get into town from the "frontier" (as the border is called), we took the #3 bus, but instead of getting off we took it all the way through town up to Europa Point. It´s here that the Gibraltar Lighthouse is located. It dates back to 1841 and stands 49 meters above sea level with a range of some 37 kilometers. From here, we had our first view of Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar. We then took the bus back into town to find some lunch. We walked down Main Street which is basically a shopping drag. We ended up at Casemates Square for lunch at All´s Well Pub. It is highly recommended by Rick Steve´s to sample some English pub grub; so we had fish and chips and jacket potatoes (baked potatoes with fillings). Mike ordered the Moroccan chicken tanjine which is also recommended since you are so close to Morocco. After lunch, it was time to head to the top of the actual ¨Rock of Gibraltar¨. The limestone rock mass is nearly a mile long, rising 1400 feet high with very sheer faces. When we first entered into Gibraltar, there were many signs posted stating that the cable cars (which take you directly up the mountain) were closed for the month due to maintenance. So, our only way up to the top of the rock was by a taxi tour which turned out to be a great way to see all the sites. Our taxi driver, Chris, was a born and bred, 3rd generation Gibraltarian. He was very nice and knowledgeable and brought his son along for the ride. He filled us in on a lot of history of the island. The taxi took us for a 90 minute loop tour with four stops: a Mediterranean viewpoint (called the Pillar of Hercules), St. Michael´s Cave, a viewpoint near the top of the Rock with a close up view of the monkeys, and the Siege Tunnels. The first stop, Mediterranean viewpoint was where we got our best view of Africa and the ferries that go back and forth. Before exiting the car at our second stop, St. Michael´s Cave, we had to get our instructions on how to handle the monkeys since there were several just running freely. The rules were to not be scared of them, don´t feed them, and don´t run towards them. St. Micahel´s Cave was about a 15 minute free walk throughout one of Europe´s most dramatic natural grottoes that is situated about 300 meters above sea level. Recently, a sound and light system have been installed that dramatically enhances the cave´s natural features. At the end of the walk, we entered an area that has been converted into an auditorium where performances are done within the cave. When we exited the cave, there was a gift shop (imagine that!). There were several apes hanging out in the area. Our taxi driver pointed out that one was sick (comparable to Parkinson´s Disease) and then there was another one that clapped his hands when he wanted more food. That was funny! Anyway, we got back into the taxi heading for the Apes´Den. It is here that we saw a lot of monkey action. There were some tourists that had them sitting on their shoulders. We decided to pass though. There was one monkey named Michael. I found that very funny! He is 26 years old (oldest in the area) and is crossed eyed. They usually live about 15-20 years, so Michael was definitely old. Once we had enough monkeying around, we headed to the Siege Tunnels. These tunnels were blasted out of the rock by the Brits during the Spanish and French siege (1779-1783). Inside the tunnel, there were tiny windows which were used for perches from where big cannons could fire. From here, we saw a great view of the airstrip and the man made land of Gibraltar. The entry road into Gibraltar crosses right through the airstrip so it is closed down about 3 or 4 times a day to allow planes to land or take off. After the tunnels, our tour was basically over except for the drive back down the Rock. On our way down, we passed the Moorish Castle. The only part of the castle left is the Tower of Homage, which dates back over a thousand years. After our tour, we decided to walk back down the Main Street and do a little shopping. The kids were determined to get monkeys (stuffed ones that is) after seeing so many on the Rock. It´s funny because this is the first time in all our traveling that they´ve insisted on getting a souvenir. After the monkeys were purchased, a snack was in order. We sat back in Casemates Square, enjoying the beautiful weather while the kids ran around playing. We left there about 5:00 to give us plenty of time to exchange our pounds back into Euros (Gibraltar´s a British Colony so it uses the British pound) and cross back over the boarder. Our bust left out of La Linea at 5:45. Gibraltar was a wonderful day trip and had so many fascinating things to see. We really enjoyed it!