5/08/05
It is Sunday morning, a little after eight. We are swinging
gently at anchor
surrounded by other cruising boats. It is sunny 60's; lovely. Gibraltar is
just to our southeast. Julie and I have spent the last hour working on feeding
a new reef line onto the boom, a difficult and tedious task we have put off
since last fall. A cruise ship has landed. On Gibraltar, the day has begun.
Upon arriving at Gibraltar, one first is impressed by fast moving traffic
and confusing roundabouts with zooming motor scooters, cars and busses, milling
pedestrians, and construction everywhere. Somehow we get through and enter the
gate to the city. A large square looms before us lined with quaint shops.
(Burger King and Pizza Hut included). Ahead is main street. It is not a street
at all, but a pedestrian mall lined with shops selling jewelry, electronics,
spirit, and other high end items at (supposedly) duty free prices. The walkway
is jammed. Sometimes as many as three cruise ships disgorge 800 to 1000
tourists each to descend upon the rock. The area of Gibraltar is just 7 square
kilometers, very small for such an influx. After pushing through the throng
to
the end of Main Street, one comes to the cable car which takes you to the top.
We elect to take a cab instead. The driver, Pepe, is well informed and speaks
English clearly. He keeps us waiting a quarter hour while he tries to round
up
two more takers. We motor along a very narrow one way road up the rock. First
we come to a monument to the Pillars of Hercules, the gateway to Hades in the
ancient world, then we drive on to the cave. Here we find slippery floors,
stalactites and stalagmites, a replica of a Neanderthal skull and an amazing
theater, with a concrete stage and hundreds of seats, all of it deep inside
the
rock. Of course, we exit through the gift shop ("very expensive" says
Pepe). There to greet us are a collection of wary apes. They dance about,
climbing on cars and if tempted with a piece of macaroni, supplied by Pepe,
they
will climb on your shoulder for a photograph. Julie was fortunate enough to
have
two on her at one time. One on an arm, the other on her shoulder, examining
her
"hair." Driving on, an ape climbed through the passenger window and
others romped on the hood. Pepe stopped to attend to one who had been in a
fight and subsequently banished from the group. He gave him a banana. No one
pays much attention to the signs that implore us not to feed the monkeys.
Further up the trail are the Siege Tunnels. They began digging in 1782, and
finished several years later. Men drilled holes into the rock and charged them
with gunpowder in order to blast their way in. They also placed dry wooden
wedges in cracks in the rock and wetted them. When the wood expanded, it would
crack the rock further. Huge iron cannon dragged into these tunnels guard the
strait as they protrude from holes in the tunnel walls. It is all very
impressive. The tour takes about an hour and a half and gives one an
interesting glimpse of history that dates back to Neanderthal Man, perhaps
40,000 B.C, the (closed for renovation) Moorish castle, 711 A.D., and its
recapture and reconstruction in 1333 A.D., to more modern wars.
In the meantime we have moved the boat to Gibraltar waters, officially
checked in with customs and are enjoying beautiful weather anchored beside the
runway of the airport. Last evening we dinghyed to town for fish and chips.
With no tour ships it was much less crowded, but still expensive. Sterling
rules here and the pound is no bargain to an American. We will stay one or two
more days before we move on. Our rigging job is finished, it is time for
lunch. This afternoon we will tour the island by bus. Take care.
Hank and Julie