From one end of the world...

(Editor's note: This is Part One of a story I have entitled "From one end of the world to another.")







Have you ever wondered why the United Kingdom is so filthy rich? There are probably several explanations and among those reasons is Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a town-country (similar to Vatican City) that neighbors Spain's Iberian peninsula. This port is the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic, and serves as a military garrison for the crown. The whole thing is about 2.5 square miles, and the average piece of real estate goes for $2M (JR, Mom, you picked the wrong area to be an agent). The whole thing is bizarre; "senor" becomes "mate," tapas become fish & chips, pounds are preferred over euros, judges and barristers still wear powdered whigs, and the steering wheel is all of the sudden on the right-hand side.



(From the top of The Rock looking down. To the left you can see a glimpse of Africa, and on the right are Spanish mountains. The barges at bay are in the Atlantic, waiting to get into the Mediterranean.)



And how come you feel like you have heard of this place that was once thought to be the end of the world? Because of the Rock of Gibraltar. I'm sure that most of you have seen images of the "world's most famous rock" in a Prudential commercial; however, many of you may not have realized that The Rock is inhabited by hundreds of cinnamon-colored, tail-less monkeys (macaques). To add to all the weirdom of Gibraltar, if you happen to explore the uppermost points of the rock you must do so while fighting off brilliant miniature apes. The view from the top is spectacular in that you can see both Spain and Africa, as well as the convergence of the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean at the Strait of Gibraltar (above).



(The Rock and insurance are both too expensive)


Back to the monkeys. I mentioned these creatures are brilliant because I witnessed one unzip someone's bookbag, take out a pack of gummi bears, open the cellophane wrapper with his fingers, and then proceed to pop them in his mouth one-by-one, just like a lounge lizard eating peanuts. Later, I watched a pack of these fur-balls sit on a brick wall and wait for taxis to roll by. When a car would pass a monkey would leap onto the passenger's sideview mirror and ride down the mountain for 200 yards, then he would jump off onto the brick wall again. They all waited for each other, then commenced their business of trekking down the mountain. Legend has it that the monkeys traveled from Africa to Gibraltar through underwater caves and tunnels (this could actually be true b/c no one has explored the depths of Gibraltar's caves, and the cave thing make sense because there is a cathedral, known as St. Michael's, built into the rock). No one is sure how long the monkeys have been there, nor how long the Redcoats will maintain this port, but as the saying goes, "When the apes leave, so will the Brits."




(In case you were wondering, it is illegal to feed the monkeys. But, the monkeys have free reign to prey off unwitting humans. Right before this film was recorded a German boy had just left the cafeteria with a big smile on his face and a huge ice cream cone in his hand. Out of nowhere a monkey flies onto his shoulder, takes the cone and keeps the treat intact while he receives several lashes from the German boy's mother. The boy leaves in tears and the monkey dominates his dessert.)

(Editor's note 2: England doesn't own Gibraltar; England is a part of the U.K., and Gibraltar is a constituent member to the U.K.)