I always wanted to visit Gibralta if only to experience the walk across the airport runway to enter this little British enclave. The monkeys were a bonus. I stayed in Linea del Concepcion which is 20 minutes walk from the airport and also 75% cheaper than anything else inside of Gibralta. It is cheaper as it is part of Spain and the European Union. The "Rock" as it was called was there right in your face as you landed. I crossed into Spain to my hostel and then ventured into Gibralta. To get to Gibralta you have to cross the live runway. Planes land and take off regularly and when you hear the very loud siren you have approximately 30 minutes to get your arse off the runway. It is plenty of time of course but you don't realise this the first time you hear the siren as you happen to be walking half way up or down the runway and you end up walking faster and then running thinking a plane is about to land on you. Obviously that is not the case. It is very safe and the authorities organise it well using the siren, a couple of local cops at both ends, a cleaning truck to pick up debris left by the pedestrians and the barriers. When I say pedestrians I mean anything and everything people use to cross from cars to trucks to bicycles to scooters to great big lorries and even skates and skateboards. After a plane has landed or taken off, as soon as the barriers are up again it's like the wacky races as everyone in any mode of transport rush to cross the runway to get to their destination. A really bizarre but funny spectacle.
So I walked around the rock, up the rock and even through the rock which was by the way forbidden for pedestrians. I followed the map to get to the Europa Lighthouse and ended up at a tunnel which was only for cars. I was not walking over an hour back and going round so I walked into the tunnel even though there was a big sign saying no pedestrians. Luckily for me an old Dutch guy on his bicycle rode by just at the right time. He got off his bike and pushed it into the tunnel and so I followed him. I figured if we were stopped by anyone official then I could say I was with him on the bike. The tunnel was as I expected, dark and narrow and pretty frightening when trucks drove by. Everytime I heard the trucks I would try to get up onto a bit of concrete as close to the wall as possible and breathe in. It was 10 minutes of highly anxious walking but I made it through the other end and got to the lighthouse. Was it worth it? The experience is always more fun than the actual end point so yes. Then I walked for a few more miles to go see the monkeys. They were fun and they had amazing views as they lazed about playing and sleeping and shagging. Typical monkey stuff I guess.
