Gibraltar is a British colony, located at the southern
edge of the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Andalucía, the region of Spain that
I live in.
I have been talking about
visiting Gibraltar since before I even came to Spain. It’s only place in the world where you can see the Mediterranean
Sea and Atlantic ocean meet, as well as the panoramic views of two continents at the same time. There is also a large colony
of apes that inhabit the “Rock of Gibraltar,” that I have been dying to take a
picture with. As an added bonus, Gibraltar is also known for duty-free
shopping.
After a cancelled trip a few months ago, I accepted an
invitation to go to Gibraltar with my co-worker Alicia. Long story short, I heard the monkeys are prone to stealing valuables from tourists, therefore I didn’t
bring my passport, knowing that I wouldn't be able to go on my winter break trip next week if anything were to happen to it. I showed my New York State drivers license at customs and
was inevitably denied entry.
I told Alicia to go ahead without me; we
had driven almost 3 hours to get there after all. I spent the day walking
around the Spanish town La Linea, and ate a deliciously juicy tostada con
tomate’, that dribbled all down my chin; good thing I was dining alone.
Overall I made the best of the day. From a distance, I saw the “Rock of
Prudential” the Strait of Gibraltar , and the contour of Africa through the fog. Most importantly I took
the leap and went by myself on a full day excursion speaking only in Spanish. I
learned the words to traditional flamenco music in the car, and went shopping on the way home in Jerez de la Frontera, a province of Cádiz.
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