Thread: Gibraltar

One of the "must see" sights on Gibraltar is the Nature Preserve at the top of The Rock where the famous Barbary Apes live.

Oh, those Barbary Apes are something else!
They are notorious pick pockets and delight in pulling long hair and snatching hats!

Here's a little something abour the Barbary Apes on Gibraltar.

BARBARY APES

Barbary Apes are in fact a tail-less breed of monkey, (Macaca Silvanus) whose natural habitat is in the mountains of Morocco and Algeria. They were most probably first brought here by the British in the early eighteenth century. The earliest written record of the apes in Gibraltar dates back to 1740. Legend has it that the apes are a symbol of British sovereignty and if they go the British will leave Gibraltar, "That's why we have to feed them". When their numbers diminished during WWII, Sir Winston Churchill gave strict orders that a minimum of 24 should be maintained.

Today there are over 200 Barbary Apes living free on the Upper Nature Reserve. They are divided into five packs and are quite territorial. A male ape which can grow up to 15 - 20 kgs reaches maturity at 5 yrs and is in his prime at 7 yrs. The female starts breeding from the age of 3 yrs and produces 1 offspring each year on average. The usual lifespan of an ape is from 18 to 21.

All the apes feed on wild roots, berries, veg and fruit.

Pictures showing views of Gibraltar from the sea

Gibraltar sits at the Southern end of Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, and cruise ships docking for a short stopover give travellers the opportunity to explore the attractions of a British colony with a Spanish temperament. The town centre is a short, five minute taxi ride from the port, or a 15 to 20 (myself I would say longer) minute walk, and it is here that the adventure of discovering Gibraltar starts. Good walking shoes are recommended as although Gibraltar may appear small compared with other ports of call, don’t be fooled by the 2.53 square mile territory that is essentially Gibraltar. There is much to discover. With the currency being the Gibraltar Pound, the only notable difference between that and British Sterling is that many of the bank notes are exclusive to Gibraltar and portray images of the Rock of Gibraltar and its history. These notes are not valid currency in the UK, although sterling is accepted in Gibraltar as so is the Euro, but at a high exchange rate

Main Street is the commercial centre of Gibraltar, and offers a wealth of duty free shops as well as local bazaars, offering leather goods, jewellery and giftware. A busy thoroughfare, Main Street takes around an hour to explore and houses the Tourist Information Office, where brochures are available on all local sites of interest, which can be mulled over in the central Piazza outdoor cafe. Taxi and cafe tipping is normal in Gibraltar and an acceptable level is around 10 per cent. Taxis are inexpensive due to the smallness of the Rock itself, with all attractions in close proximity

Gibraltar is a British territory,. Ruled internally by the Governor of Gibraltar, the Head of State is currently Queen Elizabeth II. An interesting mix of Spanish language and British culture can be enjoyed by the visitor, as is evidenced by the Changing of the Guard, when the Royal Gibraltar Regiment display this tradition outside of the Official Residence of the Governor, a former 16th Century Franciscan Priory, at several times of the day on weekdays.

In a time zone one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time the overall ambiance of Gibraltar is more relaxed than its UK counterpart, due to the influence of Spanish temperament and temperature. It is not unusual to see a local policeman in British uniform – still wearing the old ‘Bobbies helmet’ or a traditional red British postbox or telephone box, as nostalgic reminders that Gibraltar is indeed still British. Gibraltar is famous for its duty free shopping – but this extends to the many commercial ships and boats in the harbour who come to fill up with cheap fuel and to stock up on fresh water and food

Many people take conductive tours by taxi around the Rock, which may be found at the cruise terminal, ot even for ship tours. We walk to Min Street, and walk to the Cable Car. I would say walking through Main Street from the Cruise Terminal it could take about an hour. I believe as well as a taxi, buses run near to the Cable Car station

The Cable Car is located at the southern end of Main Street right next to the Alameda Botanical Gardens. Which are also very nice

My pictures take you up Main Street passed the two cannons on display and to the the Cable Car Station

My photos are of more than one visit.

As I have mentioned we have been to Gibraltar many times, years ago we visited the tunnels but now we love to admire the views and the activities of the inhabitants

Cable car we enjoy, as you have tour own freedom at the top, you go at your own pace. We always go to the top station, where a café is there for some views and refreshments. The cable car we always pay in sterling as it’s a lot cheaper than the Euro

In the final picture the first flat piece of land jutting out into the sea is the runway of the airport

Char earlier described the Barbary Apes, so the mischievous creatures that look lovely and tame apparently can turn nasty and people have been injured by them. So advice is to take care, we are always warned on the coach going to Gibraltar.

The café at the top was being renovated so there was plenty of opportunity for a little mischief

The best way of explaining is to show my collection of photos

More of the same thing.

Thay are having a blast and making good use of the bars, lol.
Below are some of the pictures I took in Gibraltar(GIB) November, 2009.

1. Border checkpoint from Spain
2. One of the apes
3. Two apes higher up on the Rock Of Gibraltar
4. Central Gibraltar, shopping.
5. View of the Port Of Gibraltar from atop the Rock.