Pamplona

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So we made it to Pamplona after a 6 hour bus ride that left Barcelona at 730am....we arrived in Pamplona around 2 and the madness ensued. The moment we got off the bus we were surrounded by thousands of people in white shirts and red scarfs, completely covered in red wine.....absolutely drunk off their asses. It was a site that we will not soon forget. So needless to say the first thing we did was buy some white pants, a red scarf, and pour some red wine on ourselves to fit in with mob. We bought a baguette and a few bottles of wine at the grocery store to get ourselves prepared for the evening. The opening ceremonies had just occured (and Dad your right, everyone said they wish they werent there....thousands of people, no one could move or breath, people said we didnt miss much) so people were drunk out of their skulls. We walked through the streets, every alley way packed...bars jammed, people singing and dancing, peeing EVERYWHERE (guys and girls)...and then we headed back to a park where we wisely rested and attempted to sleep until about 8 or 9. We got up, cracked a couple bottles of wine and headed to a festival in one of the many plazas. There was a great Spanish band playing...the plaza was packed and people were having an incredible time. It was amazing to see Spaniards of all ages together (little kids to 90 year old couples) ....dancing, singing every word to every song, having an incredible time. We then headed to the fireworks display at 11pm.....the main park was PACKED and the fireworks display lasted 45 minutes and was the best I have ever seen. At around 1230 we headed to another plaza where another band was playing. We were the youngest people in this place....it was filled with old Spanish couples. Everyone knew eachother, they all knew every word, they all knew every dance step. We really got the feeling as though they been coming to that spot since they were little kids....it was a really neat experience and we spent a couple hours there just drinking wine and watching. We then headed into the main party area....and wow. Every street was jammed with eager party goers....it was an incredible sight to see. Bands playing throughout the streets, people just going wild. We lucked out in a big way when we ran into "the Mitch"....a great Aussie guy who told us he had a one man tent that me and Rich could sleep in that night. "No worries boys, Im staying in a friends car, its right beside a park....you can stay in my tent" The park ended up being a small chunk of grass in the center of a mini mall...and the tent ended being the smallest piece of fabric one could imagine....but it kept us warm and safe which was great! The Mitch woke us up at 730am and we ran to the street where the running of the bulls was taking place. We got quite close to the action... i was able to see the first group of bulls run past....incredible! After, we snuck though the slats into the main street to try and walk to the arena....after about 15 seconds we realized this was a bad idea. A second wave of bulls had been released and the crowd around us began to sprint and yell....I turned and saw another 5 bulls about 20 feet away from me. I ran for about 30 steps and then was able to jump up onto the wooden slats that line the road and watched the 5 bulls run past me about 4 feet away....so now I can say that I accidentally ran with the bulls!! Incredible experience....one that I wont be doing again in the morning. Today we slept in the park for 4 or 5 hours then headed to a plaza and drank some wine and had some bread....we are heading to the bull ring now to try and buy tickets for the fight!! This is something I really want to experience so I am hopefull we can find some tickets... tonight is another adventure, no idea where we will sleep, but im sure we will be manage! We stay here for one or two more nights and then off to San Sebastian to recover!

I hope is all well back home, Love you guys and I will write again soon.
Kevin

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Comments

[Jay]

Wow!
So, this entire blog is making me pretty jealous and I wish I was there living it up with you guys! Crazy to hear about the running with the bulls, thats insane! Not sure if you got the link I posted on your wall, but I'm glad you didn't share the fate of that unlucky dude. Anyways, lovin the entries... I think I'll bring up a bottle of Red Wine to Sun Peaks this weeked in your honor! By the sounds of it, I won't be surprised if you come back and your mouth is perminently stained red. Love ya man! -J

[uncle rod]

what the newspapers say
Jorge Sainz Pamplona, Spain — Associated Press Last updated on Monday, Jul. 06, 2009 07:20PM EDT Daredevils sprinting with one-ton fighting bulls swallow an exhilarating cocktail of adrenalin and fear. Now, a new brand of jitters has set in at one of the world's great fiestas as businesses ponder the partypooping impact of economic woe. Don't bother asking the tens of thousands of revellers who kicked off Pamplona's running of the bulls Monday with a traditional rocket-firing ceremony outside town hall. They're too busy drinking beer or wine or cleaning off the flour, eggs or ketchup they hurled at each other to get the eight-day San Fermin festival off to a merry and messy start. “People throwing sangria everywhere. It is just unbelievable,” said Ricky Birmingham, a 20-year-old from Australia. Adds 20-year-old Theo Franzen of Sweden: “It is nice, but kind of scary.” AFP/Getty Images Participants wearing traditional red bandanas celebrate on July 6, 2009, during the 'Chupinazo' in Pamplona. The party isn't over during this year's running of the bulls, but it's been toned down by the global recession. No, it is mainly merchants who are feeling the pinch of the world's economic downturn. Rates on hotel rooms are down because of slacker demand, big-spending American and other foreign visitors are harder to find, and bars that usually make a killing off hordes of thirsty patrons from around the globe expect to serve up less booze. The leaner times are visible elsewhere, too. The Pamplona city hall has cut its budget for the festival by more than 10 per cent, to €2.5-million ($3.5-million U.S.). And two Spanish TV networks that had been bickering over rights to broadcast the morning bull runs have agreed to do it jointly to save on costs. A sobering new reality has set in here in Pamplona as the nation struggles with recession and a 17.4 per cent unemployment rate. The party is far from over, but it might be watered down this time. “We thought San Fermin would always fill up,” said local entrepreneur Mikel Ollo. “We created a fictitious bubble, and that bubble has burst.” Mr. Ollo runs a company called Incoming Navarra, which organizes VIP packages for San Fermin visitors, arranging posh accommodations, front-row views of the runs from balconies overlooking the route, a personalized tour guide to explain what they are seeing, breakfast while they watch and myriad other forms of pampering. The price depends on what the client wants to do but last year, for instance, one customer dished out 4,000 euros a day, Mr. Ollo said. In general the service costs about €700 ($980) to €1,000 ($1,400) a day. It was particularly popular among people from the U.S., Russia and France. “They are clients with lots of buying power. In the last few years, fewer have come but the ones that do spend more,” he said. Now, however, with demand slumping, the company has devised a scaled-down package with a hotel room and a separate balcony along the route, for €155 a day. “Obviously, it is not the same level of attention as in the VIP package, but it is a very good deal,” Mr. Ollo said. The hotel occupancy rate in general is expected to be about 90 per cent, similar to last year, but for the first time in years rooms are going for as little as 90 euros a night, especially on the city outskirts, said Nacho Calvo of the Navarra Restaurant and Hotel Association. “Rates have come down a lot and the weakness of the dollar against the euro is taking its toll on tourism,” he said. Pamplona has around 4,000 hotel rooms, about a third of which fill up with foreigners flocking to get a taste of the festival that inspired Ernest Hemingway's novel “The Sun Also Rises.” Many are New Zealanders, French, Australian or American. At Casino Eslava, a famed bar near a hostel where Hemingway often stayed during visits to San Fermin, co-owner Ricardo Ubanell said things have been slow since last year and he expects his cash register to take another hit. “Our expectations are lower because of the crisis, no doubt about it,” he said. Nonetheless, he has hired nine extra waiters to handle the influx of partiers and ordered just as much alcohol as previous years, although other outlets are scaling back in anticipation of leaner spending. Join the Discussion:Sorted by: Oldest firstNewest to Oldest Oldest to Newest No, it is mainly merchants who are feeling the pinch of the world's economic downturn. Rates on hotel rooms are down because of slacker demand, big-spending American and other foreign visitors are harder to find, and bars that usually make a killing off hordes of thirsty patrons from around the globe expect to serve up less booze. The leaner times are visible elsewhere, too. The Pamplona city hall has cut its budget for the festival by more than 10 per cent, to €2.5-million ($3.5-million U.S.). And two Spanish TV networks that had been bickering over rights to broadcast the morning bull runs have agreed to do it jointly to save on costs. A sobering new reality has set in here in Pamplona as the nation struggles with recession and a 17.4 per cent unemployment rate. The party is far from over, but it might be watered down this time. “We thought San Fermin would always fill up,” said local entrepreneur Mikel Ollo. “We created a fictitious bubble, and that bubble has burst.” Mr. Ollo runs a company called Incoming Navarra, which organizes VIP packages for San Fermin visitors, arranging posh accommodations, front-row views of the runs from balconies overlooking the route, a personalized tour guide to explain what they are seeing, breakfast while they watch and myriad other forms of pampering. The price depends on what the client wants to do but last year, for instance, one customer dished out 4,000 euros a day, Mr. Ollo said. In general the service costs about €700 ($980) to €1,000 ($1,400) a day. It was particularly popular among people from the U.S., Russia and France. “They are clients with lots of buying power. In the last few years, fewer have come but the ones that do spend more,” he said. Now, however, with demand slumping, the company has devised a scaled-down package with a hotel room and a separate balcony along the route, for €155 a day. “Obviously, it is not the same level of attention as in the VIP package, but it is a very good deal,” Mr. Ollo said. The hotel occupancy rate in general is expected to be about 90 per cent, similar to last year, but for the first time in years rooms are going for as little as 90 euros a night, especially on the city outskirts, said Nacho Calvo of the Navarra Restaurant and Hotel Association. “Rates have come down a lot and the weakness of the dollar against the euro is taking its toll on tourism,” he said. Pamplona has around 4,000 hotel rooms, about a third of which fill up with foreigners flocking to get a taste of the festival that inspired Ernest Hemingway's novel “The Sun Also Rises.” Many are New Zealanders, French, Australian or American. At Casino Eslava, a famed bar near a hostel where Hemingway often stayed during visits to San Fermin, co-owner Ricardo Ubanell said things have been slow since last year and he expects his cash register to take another hit. “Our expectations are lower because of the crisis, no doubt about it,” he said. Nonetheless, he has hired nine extra waiters to handle the influx of partiers and ordered just as much alcohol as previous years, although other outlets are scaling back in anticipation of leaner spending.

[caryl nelson]

Pamplona...way to go!!
Sounds as if Pamplona is living up to its reputation!! They had it on the morning news today...showing the "Running of the Bulls" !! Looked for you but must have missed you!! I loved your description of the older people singing and dancing, such cool traditions that I think really make the Europeans special. Hard to imagine something like that happening here...although I guess Golden Spike Days may give them a run for their money!! Took Lauren to the airport this morning so she is on her way to Frankfurt and then catches a flight to Isanbul. So I hope that all goes well for her, I'm sure it will. She was really pleased to get the names of the hostels from you and will try and book from Frankfurt. I can just picture the squares in Pamplona and all the people, the adorable kids in their red and whites!! The Bull Fight was a really cool cultural experience from the stands...just being a part of the family celebrations, sharing bread and wine was something I'll never forget. Long hot days and lots of drinking...be careful my boy!!! Love you so much, Mom

[Dad]

Encierro los toros!
Hi Kev; Sounds to me as if you're getting the hang of Pamplona. It sounds like it was a struggle for you to get there too - just like it was for me many years ago. I slept on a luggage rack on a train from Madrid - about a foot wide ( I was a mere 200 lbs. at that time) I'm really glad you are having this experience at Pamplona. It's a very hot, dirty city during San Fermin, I know, but you are one who will appreciate the tradition and culture that oozes out of the festival. It's one of the few local traditions which enjoys international attention and visitors. The teenaged boys, clearly coming to the festival of San Fermin to run for their town, is touching. The fact that San Fermin is a tradition that will never die despite the annual injuries and deaths is amazing. It's ingrained, a festival of machismo that no one would dare criticize( at least in Navarre and northern Spain. It is an annual blow out and coming out party for young Spaniards to prove themselves and join the ranks of the adutlts. In Vancouver, the annual fireworks festival is cancelled because a few greaseballs from Surrey have a few beers and have a fight. In Pamplona, visitors and Spaniards are injured or killed each year and God help anyone who might suggest even modifying the event. One of the few modifications was made about ten years ago, when the city fathers narrowed the width of the running streets and instructed the cops to not allow anyone in the street to bail out between the rails. I guess you found out that there are two groups of bulls each day, led by a couple of cows to keep them running. The cows are more frightened than the bulls,haven't been abused by humans as much and so, they run and the bulls follow. The forst group comes minutes after the cannon sounds (usually at seven A.M. ) and the second group a few minutes later - but apparently you found this out. Isn't it amazing how the frenzy increase as the bulls get closer? Did you run with a rolled up newspaper? A bit about the bullfights. The festival of San Fermin is famous for having the loudest, most unruly crowds in Spain. It's not a Yankee stadium either, but more like Nat Bailey. For these reasons, the bullfighters at Pamplona are usually younger ones wanting to make a name for themselves or olser ones trying to hang on to the cspotlight depsite advancing years. Stan used to say the it wasn't the NBA , it was the WBA ( world bullfighting assn.) If you get a chance to see a bullfight, try to pal up with a Spaniard or two - they love to share sangria or bocs (bocadillos - sandwiches) with foreigners. Because the matadors aspire to be stars, they are sometimes a bit foolhardy and , with the loud, drunken crowd and with the bulls having run the streets in the morning, the bulls in Pamplona are unpredictable. You may see a few bulls "win" - that menas they are slaughtered in thebarn afterward rather than in the arena....With any luck though, you'll see an ear or two and maybe even a tail awarded for a good performance. Anyway, enjoy it - as you well know ,it's an experience of a lifetime ,one which you may enjoy vicariously through a son or daughter of oyur own, as I am now. Lots has been written about the running of the bulls. CHeers, Kev! Where'd you sleep last night!? Love Dad