They had some great footage on TVE (DirectTv)...I caught a really nice montage.

Leche

I WAS THERE, I WAS THERE! Sorry for the shouting but it was so amazing, am Ithe only board member this year? It was fate, really: we had been in Barcelona during the weekend of June 30 to July 3. While there we changed our tickets home from the 5th to the 12th and then beat it back to Salamanca, when we were walking through the Plaza Mayor and were handed a piece of paper. Just as I turned to my friend to say, "Another one of those ads for how to become an azafata," we read it and realized it was a bus trip to Pamplona for only 6.000. We departed Salamanca on Friday the 6th. Unfortunately, everyone on the bus was American; we'd been hoping for some nativos to hang around with. When we arrived, everyone had on "the outfit" and we were fidgeting with excitement. We already had on pañuelos we had gotten from a tuna in a Salamanca bar. Meanwhile, the girl behind us was telling her friend, "No, we're not there yet. It's in Pamplona. The sign says we're in Iruña." Forget the bulls, I wanted to smack her with the rolled up newspaper! We arrived around 9 pm and went right to the little carnival area, and there was a live band playing the song that goes, "ya no puedo más...." Everyone was singing along and it felt like we were at the biggest party on earth. Then we started eating. The Pan del Payes (is that right?) was excellent, as was the huge chocolate churro. It was difficult to find a bar tent with the menu in español; as we do not read Euskera we had to ask for advice. Then we walked to the area with tents from each comunidad autónoma and enjoyed some genuine Castilla y León (we had to, it's Salamanca...) sangría. We danced for hours in the street but unfortunately many of the natives were not friendly, calling us "giri" and saying "vete de aquí." That was a new thing for us that we didn't much enjoy. Then we decided to go on some rides so we boarded "El Toro Sentado," these mechanical bulls that tip over and dump you off. It was great! We then decided that we were going to run, figuring (stupidly) that we could stay on the edge and be safe. Unfortunately we decided on the ferris wheel next which, shall we say, did not agree with my friend. That luckily put an end to our not-very-intelligent idea to run. It was about 5:15 am, and we decided to just go over to the Plaza de Toros since more drinking, food, or rides was out of the question. On the way we passed people sleeping all over the ciutadella park, as well as inside the little foyer in the banks (I thought that one was a great idea). When we arrived it was already packed and getting light out. People were sitting on the outcroppings below windows, and a huge crane was obscured by the crowd standing on top. We somehow got right up to the fence, in front of us sitting on the fence were several Americans, but next to us was a group of Spaniards. I made friends with a maestro from Girona, but then someone tried to cut in front of us. I quickly regulated that situation, saying, "Estábamos aquí antes de ti, te empujo si crees que vas a coger mi sitio!" I think the poor guy was stunned (probably didn't expect me to speak Spanish), so after that he called me "americana agresiva" and said, "por favor, me das un hueco para ver..." Of course I gave him a hueco, but a small one. After all, he was from Bilbao, he could come anytime! When the first whistle blew everyone went nuts. We were pushed so tight against the fence I had fenceprints on my hands for days, and I thought my feet would fall off. I had my camera on full zoom and waiting in the little space I had between Señor Bilbao and the girls' legs swaying above me, and when the corredores approached, I snapped pictures like crazy. Unfortunately you only see a bull in one of them, and a hoof in another, but the running people look really cool, just a blur of red and white. It was over before it even started. As much as we wanted to see the inside of the plaza, it was probably better off that we didn't run. Then we had the task of finding somewhere to sleep, since our bus did not leave till 4 pm. The people were out selling the Navarra newspaper, which I unfortunately forgot to buy. We headed back to the park and made a home on a bench: me on the bench, my friend on concrete below. Luckily I had bought a hat earlier that worked well as a shade when pulled over my face (my friend's cap with a huge stuffed bull on the brim was not so useful!). Although it had been quite chilly the night before, the sun started to come out and dry the grass so we could move onto a more comfortable bed. There were thousands of people doing the same. Surprisingly, we slept quite well for a good 3 hours, then got something to eat and sat on some grass in the middle of the road near our meeting point. A bakery truck was stopped at the light in front of us, and the driver, after making flirtatious eyes at us, yelled, "Nos sobra el pan, cógelo!" and threw us a loaf of bread. By that time we were completely delirious and we thought that was the funniest thing on earth. Luckily we had bought some anti-mareo pills for the ride home. So about 23 hours after we left, we got back on the bus, in the very same clothes, with a couple of gifts: hats, t-shirts, as well as grass stained sweatshirts that had been our pillows and this mysterious 6 inch long scratch on my back that I have been referring to as my "battle scar." It was the coolest thing I have ever done in my life! Next time, maybe I will run.

[ 07-16-2001: Message edited by: Majesty318 ]

[ 07-17-2001: Message edited by: Ignacio ]

Hello:

I didn't like at all the fact that you were rejected because of being a foreigner. Were many of the natives hostile or only some?

However "Giri" does not mean anything bad, it is slang for "tourist".

In the old times you could find menus in spanish and euskara. Did you cross a wide area or a small one when you looked for a place to have your meal?

As for my fellow-countryman (Bilbao), in crowds, people uses to press each other (Harrods), but you did very well, though perhaps you wouldn't have needed such energy as menacing to push him, a simple "Hey I was here before" should be enough.

And it is easy for a person from Bilbao to go to Pamplona/Iruña, but there are only some days when there is "Sanfermines", so it is not the same. He was in the same situation that anybody from Sevilla.

Ignacio,
Yeah I didn't much like the whole "rudeness to foreigners" thing either. You're right, not literally many of the thousands of people who were there were rude. But considering that I have never experienced that sort of attitude before and have spent about 6 months all over Spain, the 10 or so people who did make comments seemed like a lot. Also the guy from Girona said the same thing about the term "guiri," but it was easy to tell that the people saying it were not just making a comment about us being extranjeras. They would give us dirty looks and have an attitude in their voice at the same time.

The menus at the restaurants were in Spanish but the first place we found to have drinks was a whole little area with all the menus in euskera; it must have just been the Basque area.

I am used to being pushed when in crowds in Spain, so when the guy from Bilbao first got in front of us I basically just told him we were there first and he had not been waiting as long as us. But when he ignored me and jumped right in my spot, that's when I made the comment about pushing. And I still figure it's easier for him to get to the Sanfermines from Bilbao than it is for me from the Estados Unidos!

Despite the pushing and "guiri" I still had a great time.

Anchovy- I think I wet myself after reading the "reglas"...that was "insane, Dude" (to quote the ESPN2 anchors...) :p I haven't seen the word "gilipollas" used that liberally since riding the metro into Sol with the rest of the aficionados after game 6 of the ACB finals in '92. Yeah!

I pray that the gods will smile on me and let me return some distant summer for another encierro.

I've NEVER been maltreated by anyone in Navarra, before, during or after Sanfermines. I'm afraid that the negative experiences people have are probably perpetrated by those who are also visiting (let's all blame the Kiwis!) :p

Gora Nafarroa eta gora San Fermín!

Ha! I agree with CaliBasco, those rules were great! Perhaps I should have left my amiga borracha in the consigna prior to our trip on the ferris wheel.

BOINK! (since it's comin' up soon)

[originally posted by San Fermin for me, Junior Member, Member # 2731. Posted on posted 06-11-2002 08:36 PM]

Hi

It's almost time for San fermin once again. Plaza castillo is under construction so it will be interesting to see how things go this year. Luckily for my friends the corner of the gutter where they hang out is still intact. Hello gutter crew if you are out there!

This will be my 4th year in a row to be in pamplona for San Fermin. I am as excited about going this year as I was my first.

Last years runs were very crowded and 13 people were gored (lots other were hurt but not as serious) There were 6 people gored on the first day mostly due to the large crowds trying to run. One guy got it 1mm form the heart and another girl got gored seriously in the thigh and received a bad head injury when the bull through her on the ground. She accidently slipped off the wall where she was watching from.

So here is my advice- DON'T RUN DRUNK no matter who brave you feel. remember that the biggest danger is from the other runners. This is not a test of strenght but of your senses. You need to have your witts about you so don't run after partying all night. A most of the injuries that occur are not from the bulls but from other people.
WALK THE RUN FIRST- know where they are coming from and know where all the most dangerous spots are. Walk the run with someone that has run before and knows what they are doing. Don't wait till 5 minutes before the rocket goes off to start asking questions. Remember that it is everyman for himself.

If a bull gets seperated from the rest this is when they are the most dangerous and start going after people to gore them. Don't make any fast movements if you find yourself in this situtation they go after movement. Watch out for the herders with the long sticks, if you get in there way they will whack you with the stick and it is not pleasant.

Make sure you are in the start at the right place, if you are not the ploice will come thru and clear the streets often at the end of a billy club. I have seen people beaten and bleeding for trying not to leave the street. If you find yourself being cleared from the street find the nearest exit and leave.

There is a lot of info about the running of the bulls on the website <www.pamplona.co.uk>

The best way to watch the run is from a balcony, these guys can help you find one.

The start of the fiesta will be very crowded so watch out for pickpockets they got my passport last year. Other than that go have fun, be safe, Dance, drink(but not soooo much) and spread joy.
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Posts: 1 | From: Durango | Registered: Jun 2002 | IP: Logged

Hi (again?) San Fermin for me! I see that you are also "Robin", the starter of THIS thread and one of the members or associated with a member of the website whose link you mention.

Notice to everyone: You can only have ONE username and we do not allow self-advertisements of any kind. I read ALL postings and track, via IP and email address, ALL suspicious looking postings.

I hope your NEW username was only because you forgot your password (which can be emailed to any member through the lin in the login screen) and not that you were trying to pose as an innocent new member recommending some other website.

Very sincerely, MadridMan