Gibraltar holiday

[diamondlil]

What a quirky and enchanting place to visit! This holiday destination was Pete's idea, as he'd visited a few years ago and thought I'd like it, and he was right.
Sunshine, beautiful scenery, herps, migrating birds and monkeys!
We had quite a lot of trouble booking our flights and room for the week, but because the agent messed it up we got a free upgrade to a luxury seaview room in the beautiful Caleta hotel.
After a very early start, 3 hour drive to the airport and a 3 hour flight, the first day we really only had the energy to unpack, check out the hotel garden, pop into town for drinking water supplies and then collapse in our room.
(I got distracted following a grasshopper that had bright blue underwings)

 

[snakewispera snr]

What a quirky and enchanting place to visit! This holiday destination was Pete's idea, as he'd visited a few years ago and thought I'd like it, and he was right.
Sunshine, beautiful scenery, herps, migrating birds and monkeys!
We had quite a lot of trouble booking our flights and room for the week, but because the agent messed it up we got a free upgrade to a luxury seaview room in the beautiful Caleta hotel.
After a very early start, 3 hour drive to the airport and a 3 hour flight, the first day we really only had the energy to unpack, check out the hotel garden, pop into town for drinking water supplies and then collapse in our room.
(I got distracted following a grasshopper that had bright blue underwings)

They are apes... LOL
And you missed out the reduced taxes....

 

[diamondlil]

The next day I saw my first migrating raptors, watching griffon vultures soaring on thermals to gain height before they cross the straits of gibraltar across to winter in Africa. (I'm so sorry my camera can't show what I could see through my bins, a new camera is on my christmas present list)
I also saw my first herp, an adult Iberian wall lizard who promptly shot into the bark of a palm tree instead of posing for photos.
We visited the botanical gardens, and I discovered why it's not a good idea to pick up prickly pear fruit, I had tiny spikes in my hands for the rest of the holiday!

 

[snakewispera snr]

You had a great time there tough didn't you?

 

[RobbiesCornField]

Looks like you had fun!

 

[diamondlil]

The gardens were wonderful, with lots of lizards scurrying away into cover, supercharged with the heat and impossible to photograph!

 

[diamondlil]

(This is going to be a mega-thread! There's a lot more to come!)
Next day we were off to Africa! We booked a guided tour to Tangiers, so were picked up and taken through the Spanish border, through the Andalusian countryside to the ferry port at Tarifa.
Tarifa is where the word 'tarrif' originates, because the Corsairs would demand payment for safe passage through the seas there as a sort of sailing protection racket!

 

[diamondlil]

The twin hulled ferry was very fast, it was a great crossing, rough enough to be exciting as we hit the bigger waves. From the observation deck I spotted a small pod of dolphins on our bow wave, 2 ocean sunfish and shoals (flocks?!) of flying fish. (Camera safely in carring bag at this point though, because of the spray)
Then we disembarked in Morrocco, were greeted by our local guide and drove through the countryside to my favourite bit of the day, the camel ride! (I made Pete promise he wouldn't sell me, he said a blonde would be worth more camels anyway and I looked too native to sell)

 

[diamondlil]

Back into the coach and off to the caves of Hercules, at Cap Spartel. Discovered in the 19th century, excavations found flints and bones from neolithic humans, inside there are grottos and stalls cut into the caves. We were getting harrassed by pedlars and after a short tour were back on the bus.

 

[ZoologyGirl]

love those cave pics!

 

[diamondlil]

Then we were off to the Souk, to see the stalls selling food and textiles and into a restaurant for a traditional Morroccan meal of couscous with very hot sauces and skewered meat, followed by honey cakes and mint tea.

 

[diamondlil]

I'll have to carry this on tomorrow, I nobly agreed to work another extra night tonight! (Got to pay for these holidays somehow!)

 

[diamondlil]

Time for the rest of the Tangiers though!
After the meal we were taken through the souk to a carpet cooperative and a Berber pharmacy, then I instigated a rebellion!
It became increasingly clear that we were being kept away from most of the stalls and rushed past, then shepherded inside others with prior arrangement by our guide, despite his having promised we had time to explore. Some of the older members of the party just couldn't keep up and as it was Ramadan we couldn't stop to drink in public at all. One lady in particular was suffering badly (it was well over 100 degrees) and as I didn't fancy having to deal with heat stroke or collapse I made our guide stop to let her recover in the shade at a 'forbidden' cafe we'd been rushed past. Backed up by the rest of the party, we staged a sit-in, much to the delight of the owner who revived us all with cold drinks for very good prices. We were soon surrounded by 'forbidden' pedlars too, and Pete haggled successfully to get me a beautiful rug and some leather goods. He wanted to swap me for one of the converted motorbike/lorry hybrids but decided it might have been difficult to ship home.

 

[ZoologyGirl]

It saddens me that there are so many corners of the world, and I'll never be able to visit all of them. So thanks for the pics so I can live vicariously!

The camel ride looks so fun!

 

[diamondlil]

It saddens me that there are so many corners of the world, and I'll never be able to visit all of them. So thanks for the pics so I can live vicariously!

The camel ride looks so fun!

That's why I enjoy everyone's threads on here so much! I'd rather read and see accounts of visits or experiences of people I know from here than just google stuff!

 

[vetusvates]

Breathtaking so far.

 

[The_Thunderer]

Whoa, Janine! Looks like an AWESOME trip! Isn't it funny what you learn from going to different places... "corsairs, the history of the word tariff..." So kewl.

I think it is quite telling that they (and other places) have cannons everywhere. What would it be like to live in those ages, I wonder. Where you have to "watch your back" every turn.

Living vicariously is a GREAT sentiment. You've got to let me know how the food was. Trying "MOST" things from different places is a MUST for me (I won't try ALL seafood... uh-uh... LOL).

Your rug is great... I can think of a WONDERFUL place to hang it as a decoration in our home. I don't know that I could "haggle" though. My father used to "haggle" with the little shop owners in Korea. I always felt that he was "cheating" them in some way. I ALSO know that in some places if you DON'T "haggle" you're almost insulting the seller. :shrugs:

I look forward to the other pics. Thank you for sharing what you have thus far!

 

[diamondlil]

Hey Fred (I may regret saying this, but it's really quiet so far at work tonight!)
Basically Gibraltar has been a much disputed territory for much of its history, besieged and fought over. As well as the older (Crimean era) guns there were the remains of gun emplacements and batteries everywhere, including a Victorian 'Supergun' that could shell Africa!
As for the food, we found a Morrocan restaurant in Gib that was lovely, but mainly food of British pub standard was on offer, IE not really very good. The meal in Tangiers was very tasty, but we mainly ate our evening meals over the Spanish border in La Linea where the seafood (calemar = squid and boquerones = anchovies) was heavenly and we found an Artgentinean restaurant that served steaks to die for!

 

[danielle]

Sounds like great food, but I love diverse cuisine and definitely beautiful pics. I can't wait until the kids are older and I can enjoy travel again.

 

[The_Thunderer]

Hey Fred (I may regret saying this, but it's really quiet so far at work tonight!)
Basically Gibraltar has been a much disputed territory for much of its history, besieged and fought over. As well as the older (Crimean era) guns there were the remains of gun emplacements and batteries everywhere, including a Victorian 'Supergun' that could shell Africa!

Yeah... being that Gibraltar "guards" the entrance to the Mediterranean, no real surprise to me. I'd love to see that supergun in action! I used to live close to a military artillery range, so I kinda like the "BOOM".

As for the food, we found a Morrocan restaurant in Gib that was lovely, but mainly food of British pub standard was on offer, IE not really very good. The meal in Tangiers was very tasty, but we mainly ate our evening meals over the Spanish border in La Linea where the seafood (calemar = squid and boquerones = anchovies) was heavenly and we found an Artgentinean restaurant that served steaks to die for!

Was the meat beef/goat/other? I've eaten quite a few different meats (including turtle in Costa Rica). Interesting stuff food is! And, of course.. STEAK! I love to see how other areas prepare a good STEAK!