AMAZING EXPERIENCE IN GIBRALTAR 2016

7th /8th April . Activity promoted by the Bilingual Section. 

1st ESO students and teachers Carolina García, Maru Cruz , Belén Vaca and Mª José Arias took part.

Day 1- We said good-bye and we left Badajoz early in the morning. After a five-hour journey, we started our visit at 3:30 in a hot sunny day after checking in at the hotel . First, we got on the buses to start the Rock Tour. At that time, children were leaving their schools to go home and we could see Gibraltarians wearing their schools uniforms. After a 20 minute drive, we arrived at Europa Point .  It is located at the southern most tip of Gibraltar. The main reason to visit Europa Point is the view of Africa and Spain across the Straight of Gibraltar.We took some beatiful photos and we set off to our next destination: St. Michaels Cave. It was once rumored that St. Michaels Cave linked to Africa by a subterranean passage. Although it is very deep, no  passage to Africa has ever been found. What we found, though, was a spectacular natural grotto featuring some very impressive stalagmites and stalactites.With  its natural acoustics, it is often used as a concert hall and entertainment venue. During World War II, it was used as a hospital. When we lelf the cave, we could see the monkeys that we were looking for and we started to take some photos. And then, The Apes. They  are actually tailless Macaque Monkeys, who have been on the Rock for as long as anyone can remember. This is the only place in Europe where monkeys of any kind live outside of captivity. Myth has it that the British will rule as long as the Monkeys are there. We took some wonderful photos and we hop on the bus again to go to the town centre. On our way down, we could see the Moorish Castle. It may be the first Moorish structure  to be built on European soil. The Castle is said to have the largest "keep" and tallest tower on the Iberian Peninsula. This is where the Moors launched their first attacks on Europe resulting in their occupying Gibraltar for the next 781 years. Then a nice walk around The Botanical Gardens and Trafalgal Cemetery. 

Finally, we got off the bus and we crossed the main street where we could see some famous shops, pubs and restaurants. Then, free time for shopping. On our way back to the hotel, we could see a plane landing. Gibraltar is the only place in the world with an airport crossing the town. We arrived at the hotel tired but happy. We had dinner and then bed time. 

Day 2-  Buffet breakfast at the hotel including pancakes with nutella and off we go again. This time we crossed the border again and went to the port (marina) where we took a boat to start our Dolphin Watch Tour. We were able to see the stunning views of The Rock of Gibraltar, the Spanish Coast and North Africa. We managed to see four of them. Gibraltar is famous around the world for its present population of wild dolphins with transient dolphins visiting the bay and the Strait for food and shelter. On our way back, we enjoyed the views and the sea. Back to town again to visit the museum.

The Museum is built over what is said to be the best preserved, 14th century Moorish bathhouse in Europe. We  visited a series of galleries, such as the “Passage of Time” gallery, which tells the story of life on Gibraltar from as early as the Jurassic Period. Other galleries depict natural history, the great siege, Islamic life, and more. After that,  walking town around the town centre , lunch time and a bit of shopping. We finished our visit at about 5:00 pm and then back home. We had a great time and we really enjoyed the trip. Visit our gallery and remenber our experience. Thanks for taking part in it.