- Date: Nov 16, 2024
- Starting Location: Malaga, Spain
- Intermediate Destination: Gibralter, The Rock
- Ending Location: Malaga, Spain
Breakfast
We were scheduled to meet the bus at 7:15 AM, and it was a 6 minute walk from the hotel to the meeting place, so there simply wasn’t time to get a proper breakfast. So, we opted for some free croissants and coffee from the lobby, and set out for the meeting point at 6:50 AM.
The Route to the Rock
We met at 6:50 AM, and walked to the bus stop. This bus stop was outside of the mall that we had visited previously to have our laundry done, and also to do some food shopping.
Depart at 7:15, return at 6:30.
11 hour tour day
The bus made 2 stops in Malaga, and then another 5 stops along the way. We traveled the coastal route, getting a chance to see some beautiful seaside towns along the way. The tour was called Costa Del Sol, (Coast of the sun), and the trip to the rock didn’t disappoint us.
Each town seemed to be more exclusive than the last one, with lots of large apartment complexes, in perfect aesthetic condition, perched along the coast, and surrounded by lots of busy restaurants and shops along the way.
We arrived at the entrance to Gibraltar at about 10:00 AM, and we went through a series of steps to clear customs from Spain, and enter Gibraltar. You may have heard that in order to enter Gibraltar you had to wait at the edge of the runway, waiting for the traffic light to let you pass over the runway, into the city. But, it seems that Gibraltar has completed the construction of a tunnel that runs under the runway, avoiding this entire mess.
Leaving Spain allowed us to get a stamp in the passports, but entering Gibraltar did not. Gibralter is a British commonwealth, so the current immigration status with the UK means that they don’t stamp our passports when entering their territory. I’m told that when we enter GB we’d also be unable to get a passport stamp.
So, we entered Gibraltar, and parked at the bus station.
The Rock
The tour of Gibraltar is broken into two separate ticket components. First, we paid $29 USD for the bus trip to Gibraltar, along with access to the city of Gibraltar. We paid an additional $46 for a tour of the rock itself. The “Rock Tour” as its called includes a bus trip around the peninsula, and a run up the mountain.
The rock – At sea level
Our tour of the rock started with a bus trip around the peninsula, with the driver pointing out some of the more important sights. We enjoyed the history of the rock, and seeing how the fortifications were laid out for wars that have long gone by.
On the mountain, we were dropped off at one of the caves, where we experienced a really cool light show.
The rock’s many tunnels
The tunnels are a part of Gibraltar’s history, and they were used to move troops and supplies around to the various locations throughout the land area of the rock. Today, these tunnels are used as part of the attraction, and to demonstrate the history of the place.
While inside the tunnels, we watched a light show projected on the sides of the tunnel. The show was enjoyable, and somewhat unexpected.
After the 5 minute show, and some wandering around, we exited through the gift shop and low and behold, we started to see the monkeys.
The monkeys
Although these were the first monkeys that we saw on the mountain, they would not be the last. But, we made the best of it and took some selfie pictures and videos of both Elizabeth and I, each interacting with the monkey. You’re not allowed to touch the monkeys, but it seems to be OK if you let them touch you. Our guide for this trip came prepared with peanuts, and he gently placed these peanuts on our heads, and encouraged the monkeys to grab them. It was surreal to have these wild animals interacting with in this way. Below, you’ll find a video of Elizabeth and I interacting with these monkeys.
The humans and the monkeys
Just a few days ago, I was inches from a king cobra and had a viper around my neck, and here we are today, taking selfies with wild monkeys. And to think that all of this happened after the tour ended. It feels like we’ve been making some good choices.
After interacting with the monkeys, we headed back down to the bus station, where we left the bus behind and began a walking tour of the city of Gibraltar. We spent out time having a delicious lunch of Fish and Chips, and then went shopping for gifts for grandchildren, friends, and family.
Report from the road
Dinner
Dinner? Are you kidding? We’ve been eating huge meals, non-stop for days. So, we returned to the hotel room, and nibbled on some snacks, and called it a night.
What will tomorrow bring
Tomorrow is a rest day. We’ll use this day to reorganize all of our gear, check the weights of each bag, and get ready for an early start of our travels on Monday.
