Once again, all the research we had done in anticipation of our visit to Gibraltar came to nought as we had to miss the excursion we had planned. 

We knew that, because Gibraltar has served for a long time as a vital military outpost for the United Kingdom, it’s covered in military fortifications from the past few centuries. The military additions to the peninsula also included almost 55 kilometers (34 miles) of tunnels, sections of which tourists are able to visit and explore but which we were denied.

We were hoping to see the World War II Tunnels and the Great Siege Tunnels (built to defend against France and Spain between 1779 and 1783). They are open to the public and both located at the northern end of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. In each, visitors can learn about the history, the use of these tunnels, and what it was like to live down there.

But instead of being able to enjoy these attractions, we found ourselves immersed in part 2 of the Yellow Fever saga when we docked in Gibraltar at 8.00 am on Thursday 14 November. Guest Relations had organised for us to attend a Medical Facility in Gibraltar so we had to forego our excursion. It may not have been a huge loss because the Rock was shrouded in cloud for most of the day and we were told by those who ventured out that the cable car to the top was not operating. The view from the top was one of the highlights that we had been interested in so we comforted ourselves that we hadn’t missed much. 

Fortunately, the Doctor in the Medical Facility was absolutely delightful and, after one look at our worried faces, assured us that she had no intention of vaccinating us! She gave us both an exemption certificate and we left her, very relieved that we wouldn’t have to disembark in Gran Canaria and could, indeed, go on to Africa. We spent the rest of the day celebrating with some of the friends we’d made who had been concerned about our situation before the ship left port at 8.00 pm.