¡Viva San Fermín!

Well, it's that time of the year again, the 'Sanfermínes' in Pamplona have started, and I just wanted to wish everyone who is going to participate, Spanish or foreign, the best of luck so they are safe and sound when they return home. '¡A divertirse!'

Everybody sing:

"1 de Enero, 2 de Febrero, 3 de Marzo, 4 de Abril, 5 de Mayo, 6 de Junio, 7 de Julio San Fermín, a Pamplona hemos de ir, con una media, con una media, a Pamplona hemos de ir,con una media y un calcetííííín...."

Je je je... did y'all see the photo in El País of the nude antitaurino (PETA) Americans protesting in Pamplona?? Interestingly enough, the photo makes it seem that the antitaurino movement is fostered by foreigners, which is absolutely misleading.

I'll join with Pim in wishing everyone fun and safety. Don't drink too much wine before you run!

I see that El País is making available the daily (or at least today's) run in audio. You can hear today's taped-delay run @
http://212.166.72.24/ser/Audio/10000008/020707co_primerencierro_sanfermines.asf

The day's photos can be viewed at http://www.elpais.es/fotografia/especiales/navarra/2.html

I'd guess a video of today's run can be seen somewhere/somehow as well.

Here's an article from Iwon.com/Reuters :

Pamplona Bulls Gore Runners in Spanish Festival
Jul 7, 7:40 am ET

By Daniel Flynn
PAMPLONA, Spain (Reuters) - Pamplona's running of the bulls, the annual Spanish festival in which six bulls and thousands of people gallop through narrow cobblestone streets, left six people including three foreigners injured Sunday.

Sunday's run was the first of eight in the annual San Fermin festival with bull runs every July 7-14, a spectacle made famous by Ernest Hemingway's 1927 novel "Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises."

Doctors said an American woman, Elinzey Sain, 19, from Kansas and an Australian, Luke Versace, 19, were being treated at a hospital outside Pamplona. Both were gored in the leg.

Londoner Paul Staines, 37, received a blow to the face, the hospital said.

About a million people are estimated to have descended on Pamplona in northern Spain, but prospects of violence by the Basque separatist group ETA put something of a damper on the party.

Tensions have been high this year amid a crackdown by Spain's center-right government against ETA, which has killed 800 people since 1968, and the Batasuna party that Madrid brands as ETA's political wing.

Television commentators called Sunday's run unusually dangerous because several bulls became separated from the herd.

Several of the bulls slipped on the dew-covered streets and fell, drawing out the run to more seven minutes, about twice the duration of a clean run.

Thousands of people, many fortified by liquid courage from all-night drinking, run part of the course in which six bulls and six steer gallop 902 yards from a corral to a bull ring.

Sunday's bulls weighed from 1,133 to 1,408 pounds. They face near-certain death in the afternoon bullfight.

Thirteen people have been killed in the running of the bulls since 1900, the last a young American man in 1995.

The American woman and a Spanish man who was gored, Jose Maria Perez Hernandez, 22, were the most seriously injured on Sunday, according to a statement from the Navarre regional government. Two other Spaniards received less serious injuries.
**************

Is it my imagination or are the injured most-often English-speakers from the USA, England, and Australia??! I guess we just drink more (¡¡BORRRRRRRACHOS!!) than do the Spaniards or other nationalities. AS stated above, there was one Spanish man hurt (from Navalcarnero-a VERY nice little town outside of Madrid) as well as his supposed girlfriend from the USA.

HEY!! I JUST found this website (Sorry if it's been posted before....): Looks GREAT!!
http://www.webSanFermin.com
There you can see video clips, a photo galery, and history of the running.. It's ONLY IN SPANISH, I'm sorry to say.

Be safe and have fun!!!!! Saludos, MadridMan

No MMan, is not just your imagination. I'd say the effect of huge amounts of alcohol and all-night partying are the same for both the Spaniards and everyone else. But foreigners (and yes young 'estadounidenses' specially) seem to suffer a lot more accidents and the reason behind it is that they're less cautious and far less prepared, their acts are bolder, they'd do things like calling a bull once it's passed, which might cause it to turn around, and endanger everyone, etc....

Viva San Fermin!
I am a huge fan of San Fermin! I have been several times and will attend again. I have family in the Pamplona area so I get updates as to the mood of the San Fermines. They told me yesterday that it was Super busy, lots of tourists, I think its that way every year but we can certainly say that it has gained popularity. The (older) locals do not like it beacause of the mess left by the masses, not to mention the noise all night. It is good for the economy however.

I agree that the foreigners are the ones who seem to take the greater risks when running with the bulls. They are up all night (drinking), the streets are wet and they want to run. My advise?? If you want to run, WATCH at least 2 runs to guage the speed and the density of the masses, watch for flying elbows that can easyly knock you to the ground. Do not drink or party that night, and do not be a "typical" tourist and try to show off. Oh I almost forgot, Leave the American Flag/Cape at home superhero.

KALIMOXO, aren´t you missing a ´t´ before the ´X´ in your screen name?

KALIMOXO, you can change/alter your screen name by clicking on the "my profile" link above/right and then the "View/Update Profile" link if you feel it necessary.

The strange thing for me as I read about who's hurt from the run is that more Aussies and Kiwis don't go down. They are by far (even more than the Americans) the heavier drinkers, the stronger partyers and more dangerous to other runners.

My advice, as posted in years past, is that you steer clear of all foreigners, and seek out a local who KNOWS. After watching the encierro on TV (much like a pro athlete "reviews film" of games), you'll be able to see who these people are. Remember too that most people go down not because of the bulls, but because they get caught looking back and running into someone who is in front of them...then they don't stay down...and get hammered by Don Toro on the way back up.

When we ran, we had a "dirty" run like the other day where the time was about 8 minutes to complete a normally less-than-three minute trip. Unfortunately, that's when the stupidity masked as bravado comes out and undoubtedly another American becomes a statistic.

By the way, what the hell was a woman running for anyway? This is a man's tradition! :p

Cali -

From experience :o - women have been sneaking into the run for years. It really isn't that hard to disguise the fact you are a female - especially when the crowd is huge and 'happy'.

Seriously - young, foolish and a dare-devil doesn't really cut it as an excuse - but it was fun ....

Wow Puna! Do you have pics?

The closest I ever got to "running with the bulls" was participating in a "Toro Embolao" en Buñol one summer...

As you said... When I was at San Fermín back in 1998 (one month before meeting my husband!! ) I decided to play it safe and smart and stay on the sidelines!

Wow! I had NO idea that women actually ran! That is a startling revelation. I did see some feminine-looking men when I ran, but never suspected that they were real live women.

I've been to San Fermin four times and would really like to be there right now. On one of the runs in 1999, I saw a woman in high heels and a party dress run (walk actually, up Estafeta). It was obvious she was trying to make a point (though I'm not sure what it was). Last year (2001) the Police seemed a little more aggressive about keeping really intoxicated people off the course. They were especially strict about cameras being used on the course. If they saw you taking a picture in the encierro, they grabbed you and your camera and tossed you out.

On a lighter note, I wholeheartedly suggest that you run if you think you would like to. It's not a bad idea to watch a run or two before you try it. I generally try to move away from anyone I hear speaking English before the rocket fires and the Bulls are let loose. Not that I'm some sort of expert, but it seems that some of us Americans just don't take it seriously enough:-(.
Keep in mind that you are more likely to be trampled by your fellow San Fermines than by the Bulls... and...if you fall on the course...STAY DOWN AND DO NOT GET UP UNTIL SOMEONE TAPS YOU to let you know it's safe to get up.

Viva San Fermin!

Gora San Fermin!

We were in Navarra and La Rioja during the San Fermines this year and had a great time watching the runs on tv with the locals, who were glued to the tube! One commentary we heard about the large number of injuries this year had to do with the fact that many runners don't know - or ignore - the rules (example - do not touch the bulls - many people were touching, pulling, and smacking the bulls). I wonder if the foreigners even know that rules/guidelines exist.