It rained all night but that’s all right. I pack up camp at eight, in the first pause of on and off downpours of the morning. Problem 1: my tent pole broke in the night. I have no idea why; it certainly wasn’t windy. Well it’s probably fixable. Problem 2: the road down has gotten very muddy. I mean clay-turning-into-concrete muddy. On the few hundred meters until I’m back on the gravel road, my bike has clogged up almost completely. My saving grace is that instead of putting on my bike shoes I’m wearing my flip-flops. At the bottom it starts raining again, then pouring. The mud isn’t really coming off though. Problem 3: I have another rear flat. I stop and clean and fix my bike near a large puddle.
As I continue, the rain starts letting up for a bit. My goal is the local sports shop to maybe find a fix for the tent pole and stock up on tire repair patches. Problem 4: it’s May 1st and on labour day, no shops are open.
As the rain stops, I continue on to Gibraltar. The huge rock sticking out of the ocean becomes more impressive close up. The entry and exit for bicycles is quite interesting. On the way in you roll over the airfield, on the way out you go through a tunnel. Once in you can see how much of a fortress Gibraltar is, full of fortifications and battlements. I ride along the coast and have breakfast just before the southern point, just below the waterfall. Interesting fact #1: the waterfall is from the water purification plant in the mountain. Interesting fact #2: there is a mosque apparently sponsored by Saudi Arabia at the southernmost point of the peninsula.
I circle back through the tunnels on the east side and exit into strong headwinds, doubling back on my path along the coast and then up into the mountains. The rainclouds have now all gone and the sun is burning hotly on the steep incline up to my second highlight of the day: the small village of Castellar Viejo de la Frontera. Very picturesque.
