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So I wanna run with the bulls......

TankedBevo

By TankedBevo
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TankedBevo

TankedBevo 2485

Posted
Posted

Besides having a great life insurance policy, I want to gather sage advice from Surlsters who've done it.

Where to stay? Best places to get drunk off sangria (not on race day, of course)? Sites to visit in and around Pamplona that aren't tourist traps? 

Thanks,

TB

 

 

 

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JimmyHoffa

JimmyHoffa 1188

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, TankedBevo said:

Besides having a great life insurance policy, I want to gather sage advice from Surlsters who've done it.

Where to stay? Best places to get drunk off sangria (not on race day, of course)? Sites to visit in and around Pamplona that aren't tourist traps? 

Thanks,

TB

 

 

 


 

Hopefully it will have been in place longer than 2 years when you do your running. 

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Uncle Boobs

Uncle Boobs 1248

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I ran in 1999. Your premise of not drinking sangria on race day is flawed. The run is first thing in the morning so your best option is to stay up all night getting hammered drunk. Get there early and grab a spot about 200 meters up from the release point a little before the bend. As for drinking, wander down any alley and there will be bar after bar after bar. Also you can go in any store and buy bottles of sangria and walk around bottles in hand with no issue. When I was there I saw very few tourists. Mostly just drunk Spaniards who like to party. Good luck.

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We’reTexas

We’reTexas 1473

Posted
Posted
Besides having a great life insurance policy, I want to gather sage advice from Surlsters who've done it.
Where to stay? Best places to get drunk off sangria (not on race day, of course)? Sites to visit in and around Pamplona that aren't tourist traps? 
Thanks,
TB
 
 
 


It’s pretty awesome. Race begins at 8am and you need to get there earlier for a good starting spot (you want to get close to the gate to make sure you make it in with bulls), but there will be plenty of people hammered out from the night before. It’s basically bourbon street 24/7, at least on opening weekend. After that, spend the day pounding kalimotxo in the plaza and watching the bull fights.
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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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Well, it’s been 21 years since my brothers and I attempted to run with the bulls. We are partially of basque descent with a basque surname and thought it would be cool.

tldr: it didn’t happen

We left for Pamplona from San Sebastián the day before the first running of the bulls. When we arrived the streets and plazas were packed with people drinking and dancing. The streets were covered in glass from broken sangria bottles. Already 2 people had died that day getting drunk and jumping off statues expecting people to catch them. As we walked around we saw a young woman dancing on top of a building and people screaming to her to jump. She was at least 50 ft up. I had enough of all the people as I am not into this shit (I have less than zero interest in Madrid gras or carnaval) so my younger brother and I found a quiet plaza to eat some really awesome salami sandwiches we bought nearby.

That night was kind of crazy. The hotels and hostels were full. We made our way to one of the main plazas and there was a stage with bands playing well into the morning. Some Australians we met up with in San Sebastián were there and they proceeded to get drunk as Australians do. I remember one climbing a tree and being really obnoxious to the point that people started throwing shoes at him. The bars around the plaza were full and not heir TVs they were showing videos of past San Fermin festivals with plenty of people getting tricked and gored by bulls.

Although it was warm during the day, it got really chilly that night. None of us were prepared for that except I had brought a flannel shirt. We planned to sleep on the ground in the plaza like hundreds of others. 3 American women approached us and oddly asked if we planned on going to sleep soon. We said we didn’t see how we could with a band playing an freezing our asses off. They asked if they could cuddle up with us to stay warm. So we obliged them. They were pretty average and while I guess it could have led somewhere, none of us were interested.

We woke up the next morning and headed to the route where the bulls would be running. My younger brother felt like shit from the cold. My older brother started to chicken out. I didn’t want to run it alone, the whole point was to run it together as brothers. Disappointed we watched as people packed into the street from behind the barricades. It got so full that police started removing people as it was going too unsafe with all those people. It really looked like they attempted to remove the tourists rather than the locals or basque/Spaniards. I suppose there is a chance had we tried, we would have ultimately been removed.

What’s funny is, we didn’t really get to see much action because there were so many people. My younger brother was sick and we just got back on a bus and headed back to San Sebastián.

Later during that trip I hooked (unfortunately not sex) up with an Italian stewardess and then some gal from Colorado, so it wasn’t a total loss.

That’s all I got.

Take a jacket
Make a hotel reservation well in advance
Watch out for idiots killing them selves diving off statues
Run like hell

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Upgrayedd

Upgrayedd 5821

Posted
Posted
On 6/28/2019 at 10:23 AM, Uncle Boobs said:

I ran in 1999. Your premise of not drinking sangria on race day is flawed. The run is first thing in the morning so your best option is to stay up all night getting hammered drunk. Get there early and grab a spot about 200 meters up from the release point a little before the bend. As for drinking, wander down any alley and there will be bar after bar after bar. Also you can go in any store and buy bottles of sangria and walk around bottles in hand with no issue. When I was there I saw very few tourists. Mostly just drunk Spaniards who like to party. Good luck.

This

On 6/28/2019 at 10:25 AM, Uncle Boobs said:

Oh and you won't need a place to stay. Just store your shit in the train station and catch an occasional siesta on one of the grassy plazas.

And this.  Plus Swayze's novel (except the part about not being able to close).

 

Streets will be wet from the moist night air and all of the festivities the night before,  Run with shoes that can handle slippery cobble stone streets.

No advice on where to start, but as you jog along, keep jumping up and looking behind you.  When you see the crowd start scattering, the bulls are close.  Find that other gear.

There can be multiple groups of bulls.

Swat them in the nose with a rolled up newspaper.  The bulls love that.  You will be the answer to ?Que is mas macho?

When you get into the Plaza del Toros (or whatever its called), keep your head on a swivel.

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F250

F250 28823

Posted
Posted
On 6/28/2019 at 1:58 PM, Patricio Swayze said:

Well, it’s been 21 years since my brothers and I attempted to run with the bulls. We are partially of basque descent with a basque surname and thought it would be cool.

tldr: it didn’t happen

We left for Pamplona from San Sebastián the day before the first running of the bulls. When we arrived the streets and plazas were packed with people drinking and dancing. The streets were covered in glass from broken sangria bottles. Already 2 people had died that day getting drunk and jumping off statues expecting people to catch them. As we walked around we saw a young woman dancing on top of a building and people screaming to her to jump. She was at least 50 ft up. I had enough of all the people as I am not into this shit (I have less than zero interest in Madrid gras or carnaval) so my younger brother and I found a quiet plaza to eat some really awesome salami sandwiches we bought nearby.

That night was kind of crazy. The hotels and hostels were full. We made our way to one of the main plazas and there was a stage with bands playing well into the morning. Some Australians we met up with in San Sebastián were there and they proceeded to get drunk as Australians do. I remember one climbing a tree and being really obnoxious to the point that people started throwing shoes at him. The bars around the plaza were full and not heir TVs they were showing videos of past San Fermin festivals with plenty of people getting tricked and gored by bulls.

Although it was warm during the day, it got really chilly that night. None of us were prepared for that except I had brought a flannel shirt. We planned to sleep on the ground in the plaza like hundreds of others. 3 American women approached us and oddly asked if we planned on going to sleep soon. We said we didn’t see how we could with a band playing an freezing our asses off. They asked if they could cuddle up with us to stay warm. So we obliged them. They were pretty average and while I guess it could have led somewhere, none of us were interested.

We woke up the next morning and headed to the route where the bulls would be running. My younger brother felt like shit from the cold. My older brother started to chicken out. I didn’t want to run it alone, the whole point was to run it together as brothers. Disappointed we watched as people packed into the street from behind the barricades. It got so full that police started removing people as it was going too unsafe with all those people. It really looked like they attempted to remove the tourists rather than the locals or basque/Spaniards. I suppose there is a chance had we tried, we would have ultimately been removed.

What’s funny is, we didn’t really get to see much action because there were so many people. My younger brother was sick and we just got back on a bus and headed back to San Sebastián.

Later during that trip I hooked (unfortunately not sex) up with an Italian stewardess and then some gal from Colorado, so it wasn’t a total loss.

That’s all I got.

Take a jacket
Make a hotel reservation well in advance
Watch out for idiots killing them selves diving off statues
Run like hell

This was a very disappointing story.

If you are a young American male vacationing in Spain, it should be hammer time 24/7.

 

 

 

 

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Thetexashammer

Thetexashammer 1062

Posted
Posted (edited)

The basic idea is to get as close as you can to the bull. If you  can touch their horns, then you are a manly man. To some people that makes no sense. I get it and want to do it.

Of course, the "secret" if you want to call it that is than anyone can get close enough to touch the horns. The real trick is not being in the hospital afterwards. At least in the West our manliness traditions actually involve risk, not just eating sharksfin or elephant tusk.

Edited by Thetexashammer
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PRONG HORN

PRONG HORN 3159

Posted
Posted
On 6/27/2019 at 5:53 PM, TankedBevo said:

Besides having a great life insurance policy, I want to gather sage advice from Surlsters who've done it.

Where to stay? Best places to get drunk off sangria (not on race day, of course)? Sites to visit in and around Pamplona that aren't tourist traps? 

Thanks,

There's other ways to become a man.  

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F250

F250 28823

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

 


I agree. I will say though, those two chicks I sucked face with and played with their titties were fucking hot. Oh well, can’t win all the time.

It's all good some action is better than no action.

Did you ever make it to Southern Spain? Costa Del Sol this time of the year is a blast, like Spring Break but better. The Scandinavians flock to the place in July. So many topless Swedish and Norwegian chicks with very liberal sexual views and looking for guys that are exotic "non-scandanavians".

 

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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

Posted
Posted
It's all good some action is better than no action.
Did you ever make it to Southern Spain? Costa Del Sol this time of the year is a blast, like Spring Break but better. The Scandinavians flock to the place in July. So many topless Swedish and Norwegian chicks with very liberal sexual views and looking for guys that are exotic "non-scandanavians".
 


This information comes about 21 years and two weeks too late. Thanks a lot!
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Spankytoes

Spankytoes 1743

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Posted

Last did this in 2017 with my oldest as part of his graduation tour. 

We flew from MAD-PNA on Iberia and PNA-BCN on Vueling. The latter flight was a great option and only cost us $30.00 per person with the caveat that the flight only happens a few times a week and just so coincided with our stay. Pamplona is pretty much in the middle of nowhere in the north of Spain. I don't have experience with the trains, or driving there, but the flights were cheap enough not to worry about it. I'd try to frame a trip around this for dates. We had round trip bus service to/from the airport through a charter company.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn, which is outside of town. Mainly because I could use points, it's small-town Spain and the redemption rate was cheap. Cabs were plentiful. It was fine for our purposes, but just know that English isn't widely spoken outside of Barcelona/Madrid/Tourist cities. You'll remember high school Spanish in no time flat to communicate enough.

We had 2 days there: One to observe and one to run. I booked a balcony in someone's apartment through a service for the first day. Easy meetup with the host and they had the commentary on the TV. Prices vary but honestly I can't see much of a difference on what level you are on. All views are unobstructed albeit some may have another few seconds of action. If you want to see the "crashes" ala Nascar, book something closer to Deadman's curve or the stadium where people pileup. There is a secondary running of a few bulls to clear the street.

On the second day I ran and my son filmed. The tourists are at the front, and may never see a bull until the stadium, the middle are more adventurous tourists that want a story and the locals/crazies are at the back. I was mid-pack. (Chubby guy) Before the festivities, everyone sings a song of prayer to San Fermin. Then they shoot the rocket and then the gates open. You have about 3 minutes to get to the stadium if you're on pace with very few places to exit beforehand. You can either stay in the dirt or go into the stands depending on how close you want to get to the bulls. You either stay for the fights or exit the stadium. We did the latter.

There are small festivals going on, but the tourist thing to do is to go to Cafe Iruna and get churros and hot chocolate that's thick enough to soak up the churro. You'll want a second order of these. Sangria is plentiful but none of the food really stood out. If you don't like ham, you're SOL. IIRC, they have the normal chains like BK and McDonalds. 

We had fun but it's not something that I would go out of my way to do. It's kind of like spending a lot of money and standing in line at a theme park just to ride 1 roller coaster. 

 

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