Day 10: Watching The Bull Run From The Stands

I wake up on the concrete floor of the charter bus parking garage. Myself and two Aussies are in a triangular form on the ground with our heads resting on one another's legs. The others are balled up near the wall. This was probably one of the most interesting places I've woken up. ( next to waking up in a water slide at the Butes Resort in Phoenix and then there was that one time I woke up naked in my closet.)

The bus arrives from San Sebastian. We approach all the other campers, who decided to stay at the campsite for the night, and the look on their faces is more than priceless. They were all eager to hear our stories from the debauchery that was our night in Pamplona. For a second time we all make our way towards the bull run. I'm going to watch this time and see what its like from the stands.

Lynzy, Allison, LeeAnn and an Aussie (can't remember his name) buy our tickets, fight our way inside and find our seats in the stands. At this point I'm some where between drunk, sober, hung over and a bit delusional from being so tired. Oh and I'm freezing my ass off because I have no shirt on. Not to mention my ass cheeks are more chafed than a marathon runners nipples. I huddle near Lynzy to get what ever heat I can.

My camera, believe it or not, has survived one of the wildest nights known to Pamplona. We hear the cannons fire and watch the bull run begin on the big screen. It's hard to believe that I was there just 24 hours ago. I can still remember the sound of the bulls stampeding behind me. Its not long before we see runners swarming into the arena from the streets. Not but a few minuets later the bulls trail in and immediately head for the stalls under the stands. The gates close as the last of the runners make their way into the arena.

The small bulls begin to be released. Its more entertaining being in the stands watching this, than actually being down there having your nerves shot to hell. Granted it was still awesome being down there. I lasted the first two or three bulls before I started passing out in my seat while trying to record the insanity below with my camera. I move myself down between Lynzy's legs so I can get some heat and fall asleep on my knees. Lynzy takes advantage of my shoulders and back, leans forward and uses me as a support to sleep. People around us start snapping photos. Even our friends with us took pictures although I don't blame them. I would have done the same thing.

Finally the ass slapping of the bulls came to an end and we make our way out. On our way back to the buss there is this huge monumental brass statue of men running with the bulls. I give my camera to Lynzy and climb atop the statue for a few sap shots. I pose in a celebrating manner in honor of the success I had running with the bulls. I think I'll do it again some day!

I sleep on the bus back to the campsite because when we return we have to start to pack and move out so the next set of campers, coming in that day, can settle in. We get back to the campsite and pack up. A lot of people are going to the beach before they head off to their next destination. LeeAnn, Allison and I get some food at the bar before heading into town. Lynzy and Nicole are already on their way to the beach with a few of the Aussies.....their sprung.

We get to the bus stop to find H.K. and Wilson (two brothers form Charlotte, North Carolina) waiting for the bus as well. We're all headed to the train station. My train back to Madrid leaves at 4:20. LeeAnn and Allison's next destination is also Madrid. We make plans to do a day trip to Toledo tomorrow. We arrive at the train station and they have to make their reservations. They watch my luggage for me so I can walk to the beach real quick to try and find Lynzy and Nicole so they can pay me back for some money I lent them during our time in San Sebastian. I get to the beach and don't have much luck finding them considering the amount of people that are there. So I snap some quick photos and head back to the train station. Everyone's trains leave before mine so I get to see them all off. I get HK, WIlson and two 18 year old Aussie girls, e-mail information so I can send them some photos from our eventful weekend.

Come to find out that my month back packing excursion is nothing compared to what a lot of the other back packers I've met are doing. Some had already been back packing for a month or two and still had two or three months left. Having made it this far in my trip, I kind of wish I would have don the same.

I board my train at the prompt time of 4:20. It's about a five hour train ride. I sleep a majority of the way back. On the train I'm sitting next to this really beautiful Spanish girl and I felt bad because God only knows what the hell I smell like after having been through what I have over the past four days.

After enjoying my coma of a sleep on the train (full of twitching and bad dreams...I'm sure I disturbed half the passengers around me), I arrive back in Madrid. I hop on the metro back to Kristin's to drop my stuff off and go back to the train station to welcome Allison and LeeAnn to Madrid. I find them attempting to use a pay phone but they are having no luck. They join me back to Kristin's place so they can use the wireless signal and try and contact the CouchSurfing host they had been in touch with. Unfortunately for them their host was a flake and it was already pretty late. Kristin was so generous to offer them to crash there for the night. I am grateful for my wonderful cousin, as are LeeAnn and Allison I'm sure. Tomorrow the three of us take on Toledo!