The Running of the Bulls

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Day 453
We left dressed to impress for our 6.45am bus to Pamplona for the famous Running of the Bulls. Before long we realised we definitely weren't going to make the run as our bus detoured to every town, village and gypsy stop between Vitoria and Pamplona. We arrived just after 8.30am as the hoards of people returned to the station covered head to toe in Sangria. Disappointed we set about finding a way to get to the run on time the next day, and taxi was the only way. 120 Euro's later and taxi organised we walked to the Bull ring and purchased our tickets for that evenings Bull Fight. Then we walked the course of the run undergoing its massive clean up, stopping to listen to the parade of bands and scope out the best view point for the next day.
We stopped by at the Sports square to watch the wood chop and hay bale lifting competitions.Before enjoying a picnic in the park.
Carly and Jez organised the hire of a balcony overlooking the long Estafetta street into the bull ring as the streets began to fill and the party atmosphere spread. We found our nose bleed seats in the Bull Ring and quickly discovered that was close enough.The Bull Fight began and we watched in disgust the matador and many mates tormented and killed its bull 1...2.... & 3 was more than enough. Perplexed at how and why the spanish find this entertaining we left, glad we had been but adamant that I never needed to go again.

Day 454
Up early again we waited for our taxi, it arrived right on time and we set off at approximately 150km a hour. All slightly stunned we arrived safe and just in time. We set off in our different directions Jez and Carly to their balcony and Leanne and Brian to the Bull Ring. We shared the balcony with an older couple with a fantastic view of dead man's corner and most of the length of Estafetta street. We watched in amuzement the procedure, the run is cleared of people, imacualtely cleaned and then the 'runners' return. Men and women (but significantly more men) young and old but all with undenyable fear etched in their faces they stretched, bounced and laughed in attempt to dispel some of their nervous energy.
The first firework was let off,( and some started running?!?!) the second firework cracked and we too feel the nervous excitement. The Bulls came crashing round 'dead mans corner' with one spanish man narrowly missing being crushed. The bulls came and went in seconds. It wasn't until we got down to the street to the bars which had reopened in minutes of the bulls passing that we saw the footage of a couple guys getting hit and the slo-mo of how narrowly the guy escaped being crushed on dead mans corner.
We met with Leanne and Brian who had been near crushed in the Bull ring themselves by the crows and exchanged stories. They headed back for a quiet day in Vitoria and we caught the bus back to San Sebastian in hope of some sunshine. And sunshine we got. After an overcast start the sun shone through and we hit the ocean to cool off, wandering along the shore from the main beach (Concha) to Ondaretta
after our fix of sun, sand and boobs we got the bus back to Vitoria and met Leanne and Brian for traditional Spanish Paella dinner. The Pamplona festival definitely one not to be missed!

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