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April 14.15, 2009

Tangiers, Spain
The Rock, Iberian Peninsula

Nothing like a first class overnight train. Sounds good doesn’t it? Really, it is more like a very small den with six Lazy-Boys and not nearly enough ventilation or legroom. It would be somewhat entertaining watching everyone trying to get comfortable except for the fact that you are trying to do it too. After the night in the desert, that is how we spent the next one while on the train from Marrakech to Tangier.

We got into Tangier and headed for the ferry over to Spain. We took the high-speed one and it really was – making the crossing in only 35 minutes versus the standard four hours. Followed an Australian fellow from the train over to the bus station and plopped onto a local bus to La Linea de la Concepcion - the gateway to Gibraltar. An hour later, we were following the big silhouette in the sky towards the border crossing.

At the border, a bored Spanish cop glanced at the inside of our passports and then a nice British gentleman only glanced at the Canadian cover before waving us through. No customs check, bag check or forms to fill out and we were in. Must have known we were coming. Took the double decker bus (really) to the centre of town and found the Cannon Hotel – on Cannon Lane.

For the last two months, we had been in jungles, deserts and strange cities where any English we heard was a bonus but not expected. We couldn’t drink the water and the culture was always a learning experience. For the last three days, we had been in the same set of clothes and smelled a little like those camels. After all that, we found ourselves on the set of Coronation Street. Gibraltar has to be more English than anything in England is.

For two days we drank pints of beer, ate Shepherd’s pie, shopped at Marks and Spencer’s (whose chocolate cookies are really good), watched soccer games in pubs and walked around the narrow old part of the colony. Of course, we went to the top of the Rock for the view and the monkeys and we shopped for a new camera since the last one was broken when Lana’s camel fell on it. (Apparently, camel damage is not covered by the warranty.)

Going to Gibraltar was great. There was even hot water and TV! Had a great time and were sorry to leave. Left for an early bus on the Spanish side and had to walk out of the colony at six in the morning with a light English drizzle helping us along. Not a lot of space in the colony so the last little bit was crossing the airport runaway and hoping that no early morning flights were scheduled.