Un poco de San Fermines

 Yesterday morning, I was surprised by almost everything.  I did not have any idea how small Pamplona actually is.  The crowds reminded me of the crowds of football fans in and around Lincoln Nebraska because the fans are very enthusiastic and the Husker football colors are red, black, and white.  I also did not expect a marching band to perform in the ring before the runners came.  That made it seem even more like a football game.  I would not mind attending San Fermines again, but I would never want to run with the bulls.  I am clumsy and slow, and I do not have a death wish, haha.

I did not buy any food because I ate the "picnic" sandwich that they gave everyone in the dorms, but I drank one cup of chocolate and two cups of coffee because I was so cold.  The chocolate was delicious and very thick, but I was surprised that it was three euros for one cup.  The café para llevar was only one euro, and I think it was even stronger than the coffee I've had in Bilbao.

I was really surprised by the strange "show" that happened after the run, but I did not feel like it was animal cruelty.  Compared to the way cowboys ride bulls at American rodeos, I do not think the bulls were tortured.  I seriously doubt a festival like this could exist in the U.S. because any American who got gored would "lawyer up" immediately.  There probably isn't a city anywhere in the US that would sponsor a festival like this because of all of the liablity issues that could arise from people getting injured.  I wouldn't exactly call San Fermines a beautiful festival because the parties seem to get quite messy, but it is definitely a traditional festival and one of the many things that make Spain special.