Pamplona, Spain 7/6/09-7/10/09

7/6/09
When I got off of the plane at 10:30p.m. I took a taxi to my hotel and went strait to bed. The hotel room 217 that I stayed in is the same one Ernest Hemingway stayed in himself. It had a beautiful balcony view of the plaza which looked over the fireworks show and the running of the bulls. It was moderately priced at 70 euros a night and had large jbull heads mounted over each of the beds.Tommorrow was going to be a very eventful day.
7/7/08
Today was the first day of the running of the bulls. The running of the bulls is a major event of the festival of San Fermin. The San Fermin festival is from July 6-14. This festival features many important spectales and events. The running of the bulls takes place every morning except for July 6. I awoke to cheers and sounds of festivities as I looked out of my window. I stepped out on the balcony and greeted the already exuberant world with my Hemingway mug filled with a rich brew. I got dressed and prepared myself to see the same view that Papa Hemingway himself saw nearly 100 years ago. I patiently waited until I finally heard the stampeed of human feet followed by the hooves of bulls. I did not blink once as they ran buy, taking pictures as they ran, of some of the poor souls getting trampled and gorded by the wild bulls. It was truly a sight to see. Hemingway used this inspiration to write his story The Sun Also Rises. In intricate detail he describes this feat as well as the rest of the San Fermin festival portraying the images to ignorant minds across the world and informing the English speaking people of the world about this now international festival. The most important running of the bulls is on July 7th and I was fortunate enough to see it. I had planned my entire trip around this event and I'm sure glad I did. I walked down the street to buy my lunch and dinner at a local market for 15 euros. The best tasting food I perchased was a bocadillo. It was an eight inch long sub sandwich with cold cut sausage and tomato slices. It tasted fantastic and was well worth the money. I toured the rest of the neighborhood then I hit the hay.
7/8/09
Today I roamed the streets speaking with other people about what they thought of the festival. I was told many times to go see the bullfight at six thirty. Many people advised me to arrive there early so I could get a good seat and be able to see the action. Admission to the bullfight was 10 euros. I saw the bullfight and was extremely enticed. As I watched I tried to look at it from a Hemingway point of view in reference to his book The Sun Also Rises. After the bull fight I purchased another bocadillo and some souvenir fireworks for 10 euros from a small corner store. I headed back to the hotel and partied all the way there.
7/9/09
Today was the famous Pamplona fireworks show that takes place during the day. It was unorthodox indeed, but just as spectacular. Unlike other fireworks shows which focus on the visual aspect this show focused on the audible aspect. Everyone stood around the plaza and patiently waited for the ear drum bursting show to begin. Once it did it was hard to fight the urge to put your hands over your ears. It is the loudest fireworks show in the world and fits perfectly into the San Fermin festival. After it was over I found my ears ringing with joy. I left my balcony and socialized with the crowd around the plaza. I ate dinner at a local bar and grill for 8 euros. I headed back to the hotel and packed my suitcase and prepared for my flight to Paris, France the next day at 6: 50 in the morning.