The drive from Barcelona to Pamplona is close to 5 hours, so we left as soon as we got up and dressed. What was not expected was all of the darn tolls on the way! We paid almost 50 Euros each direction in tolls.... and I thought the $1.25 toll stops were bad in Texas, HA! And this isn't mentioning the fact that gas there is around $9 USD per gallon, YIKES! Anyways, the drive wasn't too bad- it is always fun to drive through foreign countries and just admire your surroundings. Spain is actually a pretty desolate country; we didn't pass much other than hills, mountains, land, etc. Here is a picture of a bull statue on a big hill we passed:
So when we arrived in Pamplona, the opening ceremonies were underway.... and just to give an idea of what we are talking about in terms of crowds of people, here is a picture from the opening ceremony:
Okay, so the town is INSANE. I have never seen so many people.... Really.Drunk.People! In the 2 min it took to walk from the car to buy the necessary attire (white everything, with red sash around waste and red bandana around the neck) we ended up having our good clothes ruined by sangria, which is the staple drink of the san fermin festival. The town rains Sangria, y'all. I am not even sure where it comes from, but it is sure to end up all over you. 
And back to the drunk people... they all want to take photos with you when they see you have a camera. And they smell. I am sure being up all night drinking while your clothes get soiled in Sangria has something to do with it, but I would recommend arriving in this town (at least for the festival) already lit yourself. I know I was quickly back to the car for that bottle of champagne we won on the boat! Check out the peoples outfits to the right... at one point, they were white. We spent some time that afternoon walking around to check out the party, walking the route for the run the next day, and checking out the bull fighting arena. 
With the whole bull fight thing... we opted not to see one. The 6 fighting bulls released in the run are eventually killed in fights that evening in the arena. Some people see it as tradition, and some people [like me] see it as ritualistic slaughter. When I found out the process of the bullfight I immediately knew I could not watch such a show. For those unaware, it is not just a matador and bull that make up the fights. There are picadors (guys on horses) that first throw lances into the bulls back and neck, then there are banderillas who come out and throw bright colored darts at the bull and exert all of its energy as blood loss kicks in. Then the matador appears. It is slow and gory. For anyone who sees bullfighting as an art/sport/business/what have you.... I am not trying to go all PETA on you. I am just saying that watching this routine is NOT for me. We actually had the pleasure horror of walking down a street in Pamplona only to stumble upon a craned dump truck lifting a bull up in the air that had been killed in the ring the previous night. I got teary eyed and had to turn around quickly walking the other direction (note taken: if you start to smell something dead during san fermin, it is not just soiled streets, but actually something dead. Go the other way).
Back to the party! As the sunsets, the party does not! In fact, there are concerts that do not start until midnight, and before that, there is a pretty sweet firework show in the park. We did want to try to get SOME sleep though. Oh! Did I mention that our plan was to sleep in the car? My friends thought I was crazy for being okay with sleeping in a car in a foreign country, but it beats paying 500 Euros for a night you won't be sleeping much anyways! And honestly, even though everyone is inebriated, I never felt unsafe. The people there aren't there to hurt, steal, etc. Just to party! So when we did attempt those few hours of sleep, it sucked because even though it was really cold outside there, in the parking garage it was SO.HOT. I have a difficult time sleeping as it is, but put me in a really hot car and then I've really got an issue. But.... who goes to Pamplona to sleep anyways?! The bull run would be starting in a few hours time anyways.
We started to get ready for the run around 5:45 AM. I had to be at my balcony by 6:15 AM, and Kyle would need to start getting his spot on the course shortly thereafter. If I were to go back there again, I would DEFINITELY run. I hated being on the balcony and not running..... that is just me. But Kyle didn't want me to run because he didn't want to have to worry about me, having to stay with me during the run, etc. Understandable from a guy who had a precise plan drawn out. And the people are the problem, not necessarily the bulls. It is so easy to get pushed or tripped with that many people running around you. But next time for sure!
From the launch of the rocket (signifying the bulls are being released), to when the bulls made it into the arena (ending the run) is typically around 3-4 minutes. It goes by waaay too fast. Like I said before, 6 fighting bulls run, along with 6 steers (castrated bulls) that run with them, and then 3 more steers released 2 minutes later (to guarantee all of the bulls are guided into the arena). Luckily, Kyle survived the run, and made it into the arena which was all part of his master plan. In the arena is where you get to see more of the craziness. They release "baby" bulls one by one for people to screw around with. They are faster than big bulls though, and they are by no means little. One thing that is tradition is for people to pile up where they are released so that the bull is forced to jump over the people. Kyle participated in this, and at the release of the first bull he was stomped on by the bull on his back. It ripped his shirt, and left a wound and large bump (see the after pic on the right). I stole a pic offline that I saw taken just milliseconds before it landed on him (he is in yellow)... he was also holding his gopro over his head so it is on film as well.
Here are some more pictures from the run....
After the run, we hung around to participate in more of the festivities throughout the day. They have parades featuring the famous big head people, bands, etc. We also made a stop by the famous statue commemorating the Encierro.
After this was the long drive back to Barcelona with the realization that the trip is officially over :(. There will be a bed in Barcelona though, and that was sounding pretty amazing!!! Buenos Noches!
