July 4th - 9th 2009 TopDeck Pamplona

Saturday 4th July 2009

Up early and so excited for Pamplona. There are six of us going on the trip; Jo, Cynthia, Daehon, Ross, Kyle and me.

We are leaving by 10.30am because of the tube closure between the stations where we need to meet.

At the last minute, my roommate Denise, decided to come on the trip as there is a vacancy. So seven of us now, all travelling together on the tube towards Spain.

We met TopDeck tours at 107 Power Road, Chiswick and there were people everywhere! So excited to go.

We checked in with the Tour Guides and as it turned out I was on a different bus to everyone else and couldn’t swap until after the ferry ride from Dover to Calais. I sat with a guy from Melbourne for the bus ride down. It was a 2 and half hour bus ride because of traffic.

We didn’t take the bus onto the ferry, so we entered as foot passengers with the rest of our carry on luggage. The ferry ride was 95 minutes and it was beautiful. Great weather so we could sit outside on top of the deck. We could buy duty free items and everything. So much fun!

Back onto the bus and was finally with my friends. I sat with Jo and the trip was so long. 18 hours on the bus. We had a lot of fun on the bus; watching movies, talking, playing games but it was a long time.

We stopped several times along the way, generally every four hours or so even at 2am in the morning; get out, stretch the legs and go to the toilet then back on the bus. Thankfully I had packed chips and some fruit to eat on the bus.

Sunday 5th July 2009

My ankles, aka kankles, had swollen so much from not much movement at all. I didn’t bring my travel socks because I didn’t think I would need them. Oh well, I know for next time.

Still travelling on the bus until 10.30am.

Made it to the campsite and unpacked our stuff into our tents. We have air mattresses! This is not camping. Time for sunbaking! I didn’t want to get too burnt on the first day so lots of sunscreen. A lot of the girls brought really dressy clothes, hair dryers and straighteners and were wearing full makeup everyday. I could not care less because we are camping!

We are about half hour to an hour outside of Pamplona. We did a tour of Pamplona in the afternoon and walked around where we needed to go to buy our whites, if needed, where the Opening Ceremony would occur, and the running of the bulls area including Dead Man’s Corner and the Arena.

Back to the campsite for some dinner, I have a feeling that I will be living on baguettes, cheese and ham for 6 days.

First day meeting new people, socialising, drinking and a guy playing his guitar and the weather was beautiful. A couple of guys went skinny dipping and some people got very messy. Somebody drank the rest of my bottle of vodka - I was not happy at all.

With the time difference, I called Mum for her birthday. Oops I forgot it was only 6am back home! Hehehe!

Monday 6th July 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!

We were up early for breakfast and then into Pamplona for the Opening Ceremony. We dressed in white with a red scarf all ready to be covered in sangria, egg, flour, champagne, water and anything else they wanted to throw at us.

Kyle got on another bus so we didn’t see him for the rest of the day.

MUM AND DAD IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW, THEN PLEASE DO NOT READ ON

We went in front of the Town Hall (click on the link for a picture http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site333/2009/0706/20090706__EUPamplonasPartypooper~3_Viewer.jpg or http://gospain.about.com/od/pamplonabullrun/ig/San-Fermin-Opening-Ceremony/San-Fermin-Opening-Ceremony.-0AQ.htm). It was unbelievable so many people, pushing and shoving, back and forth. It was one of the scariest things I have ever done in my life.

We managed to get right in the middle, broken glass on the ground, it was very difficult to keep your feet. We managed to get over to the side because we thought it would be better. WRONG!! We got against a fence and whilst I wasn’t prepared everyone pushed and I hit my side against the iron fence. I seriously thought that I had broken a rib, it hurt so much. This was only at 11.50am, the ceremony didn’t start until 12pm.

At 12pm, the Mayor of the town came out and everyone chanted and took off their scarf and held it up towards the front of the town hall, chanting ‘San Fermin, San Fermin’. A cannon then went off and streamers were in air. Finally the crowds started to dissipate and we had room to move again.

We walked around for a while, and got some more baguettes for lunch. We used the toilets in town and it was basically a hole in the ground, it was hiliarous, with no toilet paper!

The bus wasn’t picking us up until 4. So tired already! We sat in the park near the bus station from 1.30pm until the bus came.

Most people had a sleep and I was happy to sun bake for a while.

Back on the bus and ready to shower. All the girls had the same idea, so I had to wait 40 minutes to shower! Girls were complaining and I was just like calm down, we will all shower eventually. Girls can be so bitchy sometimes.

All showered and changed and then some more drinking back at the campsite.

Most people were getting an early night for the first running of the bulls tomorrow since we leave at 5.30am.

Tuesday 7th July 2009

Up at 4.45am to be ready to leave by 5.30am. It’s going to be a great day! We had decided to get tickets for the Arena so that we could watch the race by video then the bulls running around inside the arena.

It was really full on, I don’t think that I can describe what it is like at all, just so much happens with a shot amount of time.

The first bull that came through actually hit a guy. I have most of it on film but I freaked out once the bull hit the guy. If you can, watch it in slow mode. Brutal! He got dragged away by his legs whilst still knocked out.

Another guy got hit by the bull and starting seizing. He got lifted over the fence by someone and handed over to the medics.

I’m not sure what has happened to any of those people.

We had some Spanish guys talking to us who didn’t speak much English at all, they got quite annoying towards the end.

The Arena finished by 9.00am and the bus was leaving for camp at 9.30am.

Breakfast back at camp consisted of eggs, bacon, baguette, cereal, tea, coffee, juice, hot chocolate and fruit. Quite large each day but well worth it!

Sangria Party at 1pm until 5pm with all you can drink sangria. It was really messy! We sat on long tables and started doing skulling competitions down the table.

Somebody started with a coin and throwing it in cups, and if the coin landed in your cup, you had to skull. It was brutal. Sangria was thrown, somebody stole my sunglasses but I got them back (had to go into the boys toilets to get them though), it was very messy.

I wasn’t very well at all and had to go to bed. Oh but this was after I decided that I would go swimming - but I didn’t make it! Not sure what time I went to bed but didn’t get up for the rest of the night.

Wednesday 8th July 2009

I was supposed to go to the second day of the running of the bulls at 5.30am but I just couldn’t. I was so tired so I slept until 7.00am. I wasn’t hungover at all, probably because I had nothing left in my tummy.

The boys ran with the bulls today and apparently the Arena was even more packed than the previous day. They weren’t feeling very well either evidently.

I managed to be number 1 at breakfast that morning but couldn’t eat my eggs or bacon. We all caught up over breakfast and heard all the tales of the running.

Packed up all our luggage and put it on the bus. Hanging around camp until we leave at 4.30pm so relaxing and reading a book is the thing to do, exchanged phone numbers and email addresses with new friends and hopefully going to the post Pamps party on Saturday 18th July.

Back on the bus for the long bus ride home. Made myself watch all the movies before going to sleep because I knew I wouldn’t sleep through otherwise. A few people started complaining about the bus ride, how they couldn’t sleep and I felt like saying shut up we are all the same and your complaining isn’t helping anyone. ARGH!!

We had a few short breaks but we just wanted to get back to Calais as soon as possible. Managed to sleep between every break which was good but not very comfortable at all. My ankles swelled up a bit but I was able to elevate them when we had our stops on the seat in front of me.

Oh well, you’ve got to just go with it though. It was a good test for what the Contiki tour would be like.

Thursday 9th July 2009

We made it back to Calais at about 6.30am and our ferry didn’t leave until 7.45am. We had to go back through Customs to get back into the UK.

To the toilets to freshen up and to try to do the hair slightly, but it’s really no use because I need a proper shower.

We boarded the ferry and sat or laid down to stretch out for the ferry journey back to London. We sat around talking to everyone and catching up and remembering what happened over the past couple of days.

Back into Dover, it was such a great sight to see. Nearly back home for a relax, after another 2 hour bus ride back to London plus an hour on the tube.

We ended up getting onto the wrong tube but made it work nonetheless.

Finally back the hostel to do washing, have a shower and use a proper toilet. Ahhhh home!

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