From Madrid, Mike and I took an overnight train to Algeciras in southern Spain. The ride was hellish -- 11 hours in a tiny car with 3 seats facing 3 seats (all the couchettes were booked). To top it off, the Spanish couple we shared the car with were the rudest people I've ever met -- turning the lights off on us as we're trying to read, barking commands at Mike, and so on and so on.
Anyway, so we get into Algeciras around 9am, find a hotel and crash for a few hours then headed over (via cab) to the Rock of Gibraltar (for the full effect, say it with the Sean Connery accent... "The Rock"). Gilbralter is actually a provience of the UK, so the cab can only take us to the Spain/UK border leaving us to walk across and head through customs. Here's Mike at the border.
There's not a hell of a lot of do in Gibraltar, but at least everyone speaks English. We took the tram up (stoopid tram girl ripped me off 300 pesetas). Here's the view of The Rock from the highest point. (whenever you see the italics you're supposed to do the Sean Connery thing -- am I the only one that thinks this is funny??)
Me, overlooking Gibraltar, Algeciras in the background.
From the top of The Rock we were able to see the continent of Africa (Morocco) for the first time with our own eyes. That's pretty cool...
... but not as cool as getting monkeys to eat peanuts out of your hands. ("Sir, please don't feed the monkeys!!!")
So, after exhausting ourselves climbing up and down The Rock, for some reason we thought it would be fun to walk like two hours to get to the lighthouse on the very end of the island. This is the photo we took a second before a gust of wind blew all of out 'Let's Go Europe' notes into the strait.
So, the next morning, Mike and I (being the adventurers we are) caught the 7am ferry to Tangier, Morocco in Africa. Now, Tangier is the shadiest place I've even been in the world, but we'll get to that in a minute. The 2 1/2 hour ferry ride over was awesome especially with the sunrise and all. Here's Mike with The Rock in the background.
The port surrounding Algeciras and Gibraltar is fulled with oil tankers and other massive ships. If you scroll up you can see the tankers in the background in some of the other photos.
More of The Rock (okay, I agree, it's no longer funny, but I have to use the italics for consistency now).
I guess the ferry was closer to 3 hours... here's us pulling into the Tangier port.
And here's the one photo I have from Tangier. Why? Becuase I was took scared to take my camera out to take any other photos.
Mike and I lasted about 3 1/2 hours from the time we stepped off the ferry 'till the time we ran back to the port. In those 3 hours, we were able to grab a drink at an old WW2 spy hangout (which was cool), but were also able to meet a handful of people that really, really, really wanted to show us around town and show us the sights (read: lead us into a back alley for an americano beatdown). This one guy that was leading us around led us right to his friends house where we were escorted upstairs to peruse his fine assortment of rugs. (actually, this photo is taken from the top of his roof -- I love the guy sleeping on his roof - nice.).
Anyway, back tgo the rug story... so this guy invites us into his house, we look at the knicknacks he has on the first floor, he shows us the city from his roof, his son makes us some mint tea (??? - we though we were being drugged), then he put the hardest sell (borderline threatening) for us to buy these rugs he had in his house...
Him: So, what would you pay for this rug?
Me: Well, I really don't want a rug.
Him: But what would you pay?
Me: I'm sorry I can't afford anything, I am not going to buy a rug.
Him: But if you could, what would you pay?
Me: I don't want to insult you or your rugs, so I don't want to name a price.
Him: Yes, I know, I know - but what would you pay?
(here's where I look to Mike Ferrari, "a little help here?".. he just stares forward :)
Him: What would you pay?
Me: <loooong pause> I dunno, $25.
Him: Okay, I will sell it to you for $25.
Me: But I don't want a rug!
Him: But you just said you would pay $25 for it.
Me: I would, but I don't want to.
Him: But we shook hands and had a deal!
(then Mike said something like "we're not going to buy a rug" and the guy grabs him by the back of the neck - "You don't talk")
Him: Okay, $20, I sell you the rug.
Me: I do not want the rug.
Him: But look, I have already wrapped the rug up. You must take it now.
Me: I am not buying it, I do not want it.
Him: What do you not like about the rug?
... and this is where we got up and left, fearing he'd send his sons to cut off our hands in some back alley. Mike and I briskly walked back to the port, watching over our shoulder with every step. I seriously think we've got to be one of the only people every to leave that guy's house without a rug.
Anyway, we took the ferry back then sprinted (literally) to the train station to catch the 4:30 to Granada.
