Running with the Bulls!! The Day!
So after all the build up with the Opening Ceremony, Friday was the actual day of Running with the Bulls came upon us. There were a couple of girls from our bus who were running and most of the guys were, including my flatmate Brad. Everyone was trying to be positive about it, there hadnt been a death since 1995 so that was good odds.... (altho heavy on the brain!). Us girls parted with our boys once we got into the town again and headed to the arena. We paid 10euro to go and it was once again, an awesome atmosphere! You could tell that some of the Spanish people had been up all nite, and why not when its a natiional holiday!! There was a band playing in the centre of the arena and obviously played some well-known Spanish tunes because they would suddenly break into song.
Then a canon went off.... there are 3 canons. The first one means the gates have been opened, the second one means the first bull has come out and the third one means the first bull is in the arena. When that first canon went off, my heart stopped again for a bit, I was freaking out for all the guys I knew running, knowing there was nothing I could do but sit there and wait until I could see they were all safe! Amazing to see though, the first crowd of runners coming into the arena and quickly going to the side, looking behind them to make sure there wasn't a bull right behind them. 6 bulls are let loose first, then another 6 smaller ones. Either way, I wouldn't want to be chased by any of them! Once all 6 had run through the arena, safely out the back and locked up, they let out 2 little bulls to run around the arena. The brave guys would try and annoy them to get them fired up, but I dont see the point! Most of the guys I knew had jumped the side by this time which was good to hear, altho I didnt know this at the time, because it hard to spot people you know when everyone is wearing white clothes and red bandanas!! Traditionally, you aren't meant to touch the bulls but some stupid guys were teasing them really badly and when they did, the crowd would boo at them. Dont mess with tradition! One guy was so bad at it, the police had to escort him out of the arena so the Spanish guys wouldn't beat him up!! What an idiot!!
After meeting up with all the guys after the run, we went back to camp to rest for a bit before going back into town for a bit more of a party. Great watching the Spanish enjoy their music, they all knew the dances, like a town square dance! I stayed in Pamplona with my new friend Sonia and we managed to meet some Italians who wanted us to do the limbo with some rope they had (who carried rope with them?) and ended up in this cute little Spanish bar trying to speak with some Spanish guys who also knew some english. Sonia is orginally from Portugal and with the little Spanish I knew, we had a good combintation to figure out what they were saying. Our buses went back to camp every 2 hours so we made our way back there eventually and went to the nite club at camp, it was like being in a club anywhere else, cept the trees were the roof and it was just really really hot!!! It was out last nite at camp so most of us stayed at the club til it closed about 5am. And as we got back to our tents, the tour leaders were waking up those who wanted to do the Running with the Bulls again, so we all helped too! We knew they would take awhile to get ready so not much point trying to sleep while others are just getting up. Someone got hold of some toilet paper and all of a sudden, the tree around us was covered in toilet paper! Just like a christmas tree! Well sort of... hehe.
So I went to bed for a few hours sleep but when I woke up, I realised it was way too hot in the tent, slowly emerged and found out it was going to be about 40 degrees. This was our first day we could actually spend at camp doing nothing which is what we did... so needed it! We left around 6pm for the journey back to London, which fortunately went to plan, altho we all wished we could've taken a plane!
Everyone seemed to sleep pretty on the bus and by the time we arrived back in London about 6pm, we were all keen to keep on partying. So we did! Went to this bar not far from where I live (after ducking home for a quick shower, really needed one!) and partied the rest of the nite. It was like we didnt want the tour to come to an end, it was a really awesome bunch of people to be with for 8 days!!
Fortunately the tour group realises the people on tour often become close and have already organised 2 reunions. The first one is this Sat, will be great sharing all the photos with everyone! I'll put my other photos from my digital camera up sometime next week.
I still need to find a job, I just came back from Paris so my bank account is hating me even more! But will write about that in another post :)
Then a canon went off.... there are 3 canons. The first one means the gates have been opened, the second one means the first bull has come out and the third one means the first bull is in the arena. When that first canon went off, my heart stopped again for a bit, I was freaking out for all the guys I knew running, knowing there was nothing I could do but sit there and wait until I could see they were all safe! Amazing to see though, the first crowd of runners coming into the arena and quickly going to the side, looking behind them to make sure there wasn't a bull right behind them. 6 bulls are let loose first, then another 6 smaller ones. Either way, I wouldn't want to be chased by any of them! Once all 6 had run through the arena, safely out the back and locked up, they let out 2 little bulls to run around the arena. The brave guys would try and annoy them to get them fired up, but I dont see the point! Most of the guys I knew had jumped the side by this time which was good to hear, altho I didnt know this at the time, because it hard to spot people you know when everyone is wearing white clothes and red bandanas!! Traditionally, you aren't meant to touch the bulls but some stupid guys were teasing them really badly and when they did, the crowd would boo at them. Dont mess with tradition! One guy was so bad at it, the police had to escort him out of the arena so the Spanish guys wouldn't beat him up!! What an idiot!!
After meeting up with all the guys after the run, we went back to camp to rest for a bit before going back into town for a bit more of a party. Great watching the Spanish enjoy their music, they all knew the dances, like a town square dance! I stayed in Pamplona with my new friend Sonia and we managed to meet some Italians who wanted us to do the limbo with some rope they had (who carried rope with them?) and ended up in this cute little Spanish bar trying to speak with some Spanish guys who also knew some english. Sonia is orginally from Portugal and with the little Spanish I knew, we had a good combintation to figure out what they were saying. Our buses went back to camp every 2 hours so we made our way back there eventually and went to the nite club at camp, it was like being in a club anywhere else, cept the trees were the roof and it was just really really hot!!! It was out last nite at camp so most of us stayed at the club til it closed about 5am. And as we got back to our tents, the tour leaders were waking up those who wanted to do the Running with the Bulls again, so we all helped too! We knew they would take awhile to get ready so not much point trying to sleep while others are just getting up. Someone got hold of some toilet paper and all of a sudden, the tree around us was covered in toilet paper! Just like a christmas tree! Well sort of... hehe.
So I went to bed for a few hours sleep but when I woke up, I realised it was way too hot in the tent, slowly emerged and found out it was going to be about 40 degrees. This was our first day we could actually spend at camp doing nothing which is what we did... so needed it! We left around 6pm for the journey back to London, which fortunately went to plan, altho we all wished we could've taken a plane!
Everyone seemed to sleep pretty on the bus and by the time we arrived back in London about 6pm, we were all keen to keep on partying. So we did! Went to this bar not far from where I live (after ducking home for a quick shower, really needed one!) and partied the rest of the nite. It was like we didnt want the tour to come to an end, it was a really awesome bunch of people to be with for 8 days!!
Fortunately the tour group realises the people on tour often become close and have already organised 2 reunions. The first one is this Sat, will be great sharing all the photos with everyone! I'll put my other photos from my digital camera up sometime next week.
I still need to find a job, I just came back from Paris so my bank account is hating me even more! But will write about that in another post :)
posted by bef at
3:27 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home