Loretta_Diary_Entry_4

Today was one of the highlights of our trip. We watched the running with the bulls at Pampolona. The Spanish men all gather beneath the great cathedral in the centre of the town, most of whom were drunk. We could tell that they were mostly all Spaniards, except for a few. The Running of the Bulls is known to the Spanish as "El Encierro", or "the enclosing". It is a week long festival. The run covers a half-mile course through narrow cobblestone streets and alleys and ends in the great stadium of the Plaza del Toros (the spanish bullring). It was so interesting, yet quite gruesome to watch. Many of the young men were gored and trampled by the bulls, and it is amazing to think that anyone would want to do this.

All the locals were excited today, we could tell that this is an exciting event that is held every year for them. We could tell that they were proud of this event, and happy to share it with us visitors. The town was very busy, and often we found it hard to find our way around and purchase things such as food, as the town was so full of people. We coped with this well, and found that we just had to ask for directions, as well as what was going on, from alot more people.

It was an exciting event to attend and we were so glad that we were able to witness this world famous running with the bulls.

http://www.travelinginspain.com/visits/running_bulls2.htm