The GCW Tour, Spain & Morocco: San Fermin, Day 1

Pamplona's running of the bulls is part of their San Fermin celebration which runs from July 6 to July. 14. More specifically, from noon on July 6 to, well, I don't know when exactly it ends because I won't be here for that part so it doesn't really matter to me. 

The noon start on the first day means there are no bulls on day one. Instead, it's just a big party. Everyone gathers in the central old town, filling the streets, the squares, and the parks, there's a countdown to noon, and then bells ring, fireworks go off, and everyone goes nuts. It's sort of like New Years, except that instead of drinking from cocktail glasses everyone's drinking from liter bottles and when the count gets to zero everyone stops drinking and starts throwing their drink in the air -- or, if you're on a balcony overlooking a street, dumping your drink on the people below.

And since the preferred drink is off the shelf sangria, pretty soon the sea of red and white becomes a sea of pink and red. 

Eventually people stop throwing their drinks and go back to drinking them, and generally having a good time. There are numerous marching bands and drum corps and others groups singing songs at the top of their lungs. 

But there are also streets full of vendors, and some very good temporary restaurants set up under tents. All you need for a good time...

...and to make a huge mess. This many people do not tread lightly on the planet. But by 3:00 there were crews of people and trucks crawling through the city cleaning up the mess, at times with a well aimed fire hose. It was impressive how quickly they were able to clean things up.

The bulls start tomorrow, promptly at 8:00 am, which means getting up at 5:00 to have time for the niece to get ready and to get to the city center before the streets are closed at 7:00. 

It should be interesting...