Bulls and more bulls

Dad and I rented a car in Logroño for two days and we drove up to Pamplona to see the running of the bulls. It´s crazy during San Fermin- the streets are sticky and gross from all the spilt alcohol and everyone´s white clothes have been stained purple from sangria and wine and kalimocho. We slept for a few hours in the car, then went up to grab a decent spot to watch the bulls run but about half an hour before they were due to run, the police came and told everyone standing on our strip that no one was allowed there so we had to move. By this time, around 7:30 am, everyone who wasn´t going to run had found a place and most of the areas were fenced off and closed so we were stuck in the street with all the other runners which meant we had to run.

Dad found a spot near the fence where he could duck in when the bulls came, but I figured since I was here, I may as well run as far as I could. So we arranged a meeting place and I moved further up the street where it wasn´t so uphill. At 8 o´clock the church bell rang and they let off a bang to let the people know the bulls had been released. For a few seconds nothing happened then the crowd started running madly up the street and I got pushed along and some idiot stepped on my poor feet (which were clothed only in thongs because I hadn´t planned on running). Then the crowd veered towards the walls and when I turned to look, the bulls were running past. It was over in a few seconds. Everyone stood around for a while longer, waiting for something else to happen and I decided to walk further up, towards the Plaza de Toros and then everyone started doing a mad dash again and crammed towards the walls and the second lot of bulls ran past.

That was pretty much it. I jogged with the rest of the crowd towards the arena but the doors were closed and no one knew what was happening so I went back to look for Dad. He thought I´d been trampled on because I took my time getting back and actually went to ask the ambulance assistant if anyone had been injured.

It was heaps of fun. There´s so much hype and people are stretching and saying goodbye to each other like they´re going to die, it´s really funny. We drove to San Sebastian afterwards and took the scenic route to Bilbao. The Spanish countryside is absolutely amazing. Nothing like the Australian one with blackened tree trunks and brown everywhere.

I have food poisoning. I blame the shrimps I ate. Going back to bed, am exhausted.