The Run

The second day I awake in the late afternoon. I walk back to the city center and was randomly able to meet up with the Drake group at the bag check. I check out my bag to brush my teeth and get out some money for the day. Across from the bag check is the public library where I use the internet. Tonight I was supposed to meet up with Christian a co-worker from Cerner. He had reserved a hotel room in Pamplona but his friends had all backed out of the trip. After calling the hotel and verify the booking and to see when I can check in to the room, I come to the realization that the hotel had somehow lost his booking. I email Christian and soon I hear back from. It seems that somehow the hotel had lost his reservations. So it seems that I am after all going to be sleeping in the parks the entire time. It doesn’t bother me that much since 90% of the people in Pamplona are doing the same.



Each time you check your bag you must again pay the 3.50€ daily fee. Not a bad price considering I am no paying for room and board. I check in both my big and small bag. I keep my driver’s license and some cash on me and check everything back in. The 3.50€ daily price is the set amount for 2 bags. You can always add more items, but if you check out anything the daily price needs to be paid again. With my Drake friends we go explore the city and try to find some food.



As the evening approaches we are all tired from the night before. The weather takes a turn and it becomes old. Luckily we all have camping equipment. I still had my bivy sack and thermarest air pad. We all go back to the bag check and get out our camping gear. The check-in guy tells us that we can bring the gear back before the run free of charge. We all head to the park and try to get some rest before we all run that morning. It was a cold night, but I sleep much better in the cold. My alarm goes off at 6am and we quickly pack up our gear to check back in.



We all stand just in front of dead man’s corner because usually right around there is the cut off point for getting into the stadium. Suddenly the police start pushing us down the street and off to the side. It turns out that we were in the wrong area and we were getting pushed away from the running area so the streets can be cleaned. We all scramble through the crowd to get to the designated area. After hopping over two fences and pushing our way through the hordes lined up along the path to watch we finally reach the running area behind dead man’s corner.

The first canon is heard and everyone start jumping up and down in anticipation of the run. The second canon blast is sounded and most people start to run, but we had been advised to wait to actually see the bulls before we started running. We wait for what seemed like 20 or 30 seconds before taking off. We round dead man’s corner as we see the first bull. As the first group of bulls runs past me one of them trips on the cobblestone and falls. The people around the bull slap it with sticks which force the bull to quickly get up and continue running. The second group of bulls passes me just before the stadium area and I am able to make it into the stadium.



Inside the stadium the people in the crowd cheer and we all celebrate. Then out of nowhere the first bull is released. I run around with the crowd for a while and actually manage to circle to the back of one of the bulls. As I recoil my arm to slap it as hard as I can on the ass I notice that there is actually lot of poop in that area of the bull. I quickly change the trajectory of my swing to land on its back. I continue to run with the crowd up until the third bull is released. When the third bull is released it charges towards me and another guy. I juke left and he jukes right, the bull follows him. The bulls head lifts upward as he hits the back of the guy. He does a flip in the air. Another Aussie and I help him to his feet. On the way up, I blood trickling from the back of his head. The back of his head has already swollen into a huge bump. We help to the first aid tents that line the edges of the stadium. It is at that point that I decide to hope over the wall and watch the action from the stands.



As I pack up my bags from the bag check I notice a familiar voice. It’s Liz, a Canadian that I met back in Nice, France. We are both on our way to the train station. She informs me that her fellow traveling partner Shjaan had been deported from the EU for overstaying her 90 day Schsengen Visa. Shjaan had thought that by going to the UK it would reset that 90day period. So when she went to Morocco and returned to Spain the immigration officer noticed that she had overstayed her visa. Thus she was forced on to the next flight back home to New Zealand.