Run with the Bulls in Pamplona

[lancergolf1]

If you are in Europe the first week of July, go to Pamplona, Spain. I was living in Lyon, France this summer and my best friend was studying in Santander, Spain and so we decided to meet up in Pamplona and run with the bulls. After a 24 trip from Lyon to Pamplona, having to go through Barcelona and around the Pyranees, I arrived in Pamplona and met my friend. It is the craziest party scene you will ever see. You can buy a fifth of Absolute for 8 euros in Spain, yeah, we're talking cheap. Go out to the city and all you will see is revelers, then at 8 oclock in the morning you line up. It is absolute craziness. So, everyone lines up in the streets and then they come through and clean the streets with this huge water tank, and they are spraying everything down the street and so you have to leave the spot that you had been looking for all morning. As soon as they are done cleaning the streets of glass, and cups, and cigarettes you jam back into the street. You will never see anything like it in your life. There are people standing on balconies, everyone is doing spanish cheers, you have your white clothes on with your red belt and sash and then you hear the first rocket. That means that you can start to go. The thing is, is that there are so many people it's just a huge push, then the second rocket goes, that means the bulls are released. That is when people act like they just had their heads chopped off. You are busting down the streets, hearing nothing but screams and "OOOOOohhhh," when someone gets cracked by the bulls, then you keep looking behind yourself to see where the bulls are, and then you hear it, clippity clap, clippity clap, yeah it's 9 full grown bulls with huge uncut horns. People are falling, pushing, tripping, screaming, running, and jumping. If you're lucky, like I was, you will get within 2 feet of the bulls but not have them charge at you, if you are unfortunate, like my friend, you will end up with a few stitches. It was the most exhilerating minutes of my life, and even though it's dangerous i will never regret doing it.

[Kristennoel112]

So, I am planning on going to Pamplona for the running of the bulls, and was looking into lodging and it's ridiculous. I've heard that people just sleep in the city parks and whatnot... is this true? Do you think it's safe?

Thanks!

Kristennoel112

[lancergolf1]

Kristen, a year ago from now I was planning my trip and I looked online at hotel prices and it was crazy, I'm assuming nothing as changed. Seriously, nobody even went to sleep. There were a group of us and we were pretty tired and we didn't have a place to stay so we all crashed in an atm room at a bank. After two hours the cops kicked us out but it was fun anyway. So, to answer your question, I wouldn't worry about trying to find a place to sleep, I mean if you are going for the whole week I would think about it, but if you're going for a night or two I wouldn't worry about it. Yeah, everyone just crashed in the streets and you are having so much fun you don't want to go to sleep. It is safe to crash wherever, but be careful with your valuables, as in, don't take any. Overall I would say it's safe, and by no means pay 300 euro for a room. I hope this helped, the only think I regret is not taking enough pictures in Pamplona. I was too concerned with my dad's $400 camera that I didn't take it out enough. So take pictures. Another thing, when everyone is lining up in the streets to run, if you are going to run, which I would suggest, but don't hold me responsible, try and get in the front of the pack. That way you have some running room. It's the most exhilarating moment of your life, enjoy.

I hope this helped, ask me more questions if you have any,

paul.

[Kristennoel112]

Thanks a lot, I agree, 300 euro is outrageous. We'll see about the running, all I can think of is City Slickers and that didn't look like fun when Billy Crystal got gorged:)

Thanks again!

[Luv2travel]

Kristen, I also was at the running of the bulls last year, as a female. I would never pay 300 euro a night for a room. The reason is that everyone is up all night. If u decide to sleep in the parks, beware, they are disgusting. They are filled with trash. Plus, people urinate everywhere! I was lucky enough to have a friend who knew a friend who knew a friend with a house and a floor, I crashed for an hour or so, before getting back up to beat the crowds and parties. Also, know to have a meeting spot with your friends, sounds silly, but seriuosly. It is SOOOOO easy to get lost or lose a friend. The streets are shoulder to shoulder every which way, the entire night. One big mosh pit....everywhere. Needless to say, gripping friends hands with dear life is the best way to travel the streets at night.

One last piece of advice...ALL FEMALES...DON'T WEAR SANDALS!!!!!!!! I made that stupid mistake, feet were black and blue the next day. Dirty and bruised. And buy your red bandana and white shirt before you go, they cost an arm and leg when you get there.
_________________
No mountain is too high, no sea is too deep, no adventure is too great.

[parker]

Okay, the rates for lodging are outrageous, BUT you it is safe to sleep in the parks inside the side. The only bad thing about this is that the city has a law saying no tents. From what I read from other sites, there is a shuttle bus that runs from Pamplona to campgrounds outside the city about every 30 minutes in which you can pitch a tent for like 10 Euro or something about like that. As far as carrying your bags, there is a locker system set up at the train station where you can leave all of your things locked up. If anyone else is going this year let me know. I'm going to be traveling by myself and would be fun to meet up with some other people. IM me on AOL at MtnBiker270 if you have any other questions.
_________________
IM ME IF YOU ARE GOING TO RUN WITH THE BULLS IN PAMPLONA 2005

[alirms]

Is the running with the bulls always the first week of July? As in 2006...

[bewulfagate]

The last I remember, the Fiesta de San Fermin (aka Running of the Bulls) is July 6-14 every year. There is no run on the first day, but you will still want to be there. At 1200 noon, it kicks off with everybody singing whatever song they sing there (sorry, don't remember the name or how it goes, but it is a prayer to San Fermin to keep them safe).

This is like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but without the T&A. People drink all day and night until dawn. Tons of Hemingway fanatics, and most of them tend to hang out in one or two bars. There is a cul-de-sac (I think it was called Arroyo, but not sure) where there is an old fountain. You will see people stage diving off it, in the hopes the crowd catches them. Most of the time, the crowd does its job. Every once in a while, they part like the Red Sea, and the stunt man wanna-be gets messed up.

Like I said, people will drink until dawn. And most of the people you see getting injured on the run fall into that "drink til dawn" category. If you decide to run, go to bed by midnight, and don't show up hammered. Your biggest problem on the run will be the other runners. People will be tripping and falling all around you, so you need your wits and agility to dodge them.

How the run works:
The route begins on the street Santo Domingo and ends on Estafeta. If I remember correctly, it is about 800-900 meters total distance. Near the middle, there is a dog-leg left (which I will go into later) which seperates Santo Domingo from Estafeta. The route is from the bull pen to the stadium. Someone else might be able to verify the exact time, but I remember it beginning at 0800 am (you will want to get there no later than 0730... sober). The first rocket goes off, meaning the gates are open. The second rocket goes off, meaning the bulls are loose on the street. The bull run from the pen into the stadium, where they will get rounded up and put in the pens in the stadium. These are the bulls that will fight for that day.

Tips for running:
If this is your first time running, you're gonna freak out the first time they pass you, and they will pass you. These things are fast; they can outrun horses at short distances. The first time they passed me, I panicked and hopped the fence. I later found out that was not necessary. These bulls are pretty calm. You will hear some cow bells ringing as they come up behind you. I never verified this, but I was told those were the oxen the bulls follow. This is a good thing. As long as the bulls are together, they are fine. Just don't try to mess with them. The most dangerous part in my opinion, the this dog-leg left I mentioned earlier. This is where those one or two bulls will slip and fall in the turn. This is when things get dangerous, and you don't want to be behind them when this happens. If you are, don't try to run past them; go back the other way or get over the fence. Because this is the time when a bull gets scared, and when a bull gets scared, he gets mean. Let the herders round them up and push them to the bull ring.

Getting to the ring:
There are few people in this world that can run from the start point to the end point and make it into the ring before they close the doors. They train all year for this. Cheat foward to a point where you think you can make it. There is no starting line, and you can start wherever you want. If you can make it in there, more fun waits for you.

In the ring:
Once the bulls are rounded up and stored, they let the young bulls out, with their horns capped off. If you get hit by one, you will most likely get the wind knocked out of you. You will learn a little bit more about bull mentality as well. One of these observations is that a bull will go around an obstacle, not through it. You will see a group of people sitting right in front of the gate where the young bull is released. They will sit on the ground as a crowd. When the bull is released, he will go around the crowd if they sit still.

Respect the bulls:
Whether it is during the run or in the ring... RESPECT THE BULL, unless you enjoy getting your butt kicked by a mob of Spaniards. Don't try to grab him by his horns. Some guy did that and wrestled it to the ground like it was a rodeo. The mob came along and beat him like he was joining a gang. The same happened to another guy who came up behind the young bull and jumped up on its back trying to ride it. The crowd in the stands cheered when they saw it, but the crowd on the ground made him pay for it. Respect the bull.

Basque country:
You probably read things about the seperatist group known as ETA and the terrorist stuff they are known for. Well, I will stick my neck out and say you have nothing to worry about in Pamplona, which is in the middle of Basque country. A dog does not sh*t where he eats, and neither will a Basque seperatist. They save that kind of activity for Madrid. A word of caution though. You are just a tourist; so save the political debates for when you're back home. It's ok to be American, but don't be the stereotypical American. If someone talks smack to you, assume he can kick your @$$, and just remove yourself from the situation. I never lied about my nationality when asked. If someone had a problem with it, I apologized and walked away. And if you are meaner and tougher with the background of a cage fighter, don't assume you will get the same judicial process as you would in your home country. Just leave it alone. Watch what you wear. I wore a tshirt with my fraternity colors on it one day. They just happened to be the same colors as the Spanish national flag. I was catching flak about it, so I packed it away and got a new shirt. Be a tourist, not a pit fighter.

Sleeping:
When I went, I slept in the park. When I got up to run, I stored my pack in some storage place for a cheap fee. I can't remember if I showered or not, but I stank of liquor by the end of the day anyway. I found myself joining some crowd of other foreigners to camp with, and I found safety in numbers (even with perfect strangers).

Foreigners:
You will meet people from all over the world. I was amazed, at the time, by the number of Asians that were interested in this event. Check out the Hemingway crowd, wearing the sashes, bandanas, and berets. they are a very interesting crowd, and most have been doing this for years. They can give out great advice. They will most likely be a lot older than you, and they mimic Hemingway in almost every fashion, to include his drinking habits.

Like I said earlier, it's been a while since I went, but I doubt much has changed. I went in the summer of 1993 when I was younger and faster. I intend to go back. Now I have a little more money; so I will pay a higher price and stay in the hotels. I had a good time sleeping in the park, but it's just not for me anymore.