We headed up some rather steep and narrow roads to the Pillars of Hercules monument.
Looking out we could see Africa in the distance.
Quite a scenic outlook.
Then we headed into the Nature Preserve and visited St. Michael's Cave.
The cave is indeed a natural wonder, and to say it is huge is an understatement.
It descends hundreds of feet into the earth and the ancients thought it was an endless portal into the netherworld.
One story has it that two British Army explorers entered the cave and never returned. Extensive exploration of the cave system since has found no sign of them.
During WWII it was further expanded with a room carved out to make an underground hospital. Today the room is used for concerts.
The cave complex was nice and cool, if a bit damp if not wet in spots.
After the cave we headed out and met some of Gibraltar's most famous inhabitants - the Barbary Apes.
The Barbary Apes are native to Gibraltar, with some imported during World War 2, and are the only wild monkey population on the European continent.
There were more apes imported during World War 2 as the legend has it that the Rock will remain British sol long as thew Barbary Apes live there, so Churchill smartly imported some additional packs of them to make sure the population was maintained.
The babies and younger apes are rather cute.
We had been warned to leave bags in the van, as the Apes tend to swipe them thinking there's food in them. T
hey will grab it, take off into the bush, and you'll never see your stuff again. They are wild animals, will bite if threatened, and they may approach youto play or climb on you but they are renowned for swiping food or objects right out of people's hands. or bags off your person.
Such as this fellow who swiped some watermelon from a fruit vendor and then proudly sat down on a rock to eat it:
They can also be rather insistent:
 |
| Hello Human, I see you like food. I, too, like food. Do you have some food for me? I suggest you do. Just sayin'. |
He did get a reward for his efforts, but after not getting more food, he then stuck out his tongue and jumped up and hitched a ride on the roof for a bit before jumping off.
We then drove on to see more of the island.
2 comments:
I warned you...LOL
Old NFO: Yep the driver warned us as well, so all of us on his tour were well prepared. They're rather proud and protective of the apes who tend to enjoy themselves with the tourists.
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