Pamplona 6th July 2008
The Bull Running is the most popular act of the fiesta ofSan Fermin and the motive for many foreigners who arrive to
Pamplona on the 6th of July. Basically, it consists of running
in front of the bulls for a short distant through
the narrow streets of the old part of the city
from the corrals of Santo Domingo to the Plaza de Toros where,
in the afternoon they will be killed in the bullring.
Unlike bull fights, which are performed by professionals,
anyone may participate in an encierro. Injuries are common,
both to the participants, who may be gored or trampled,
and to the bulls.Prior to the running of the bulls,
a set of wooden barricades are erected to direct
the bulls along the route and to block off side streets.
There is a double row of barricades at five locations
along the route to allow runners to quickly exit in case of danger.
A total of 6 bulls run along with two
groups of oxen for a distance of 825 meters.
The dangerous journey which is celebrated
every morning from the 7th to the 14th of July
begins at 8 am although those who wish to run
must enter before 7:30, and you don’t have to
sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter
into the run and choose the street where
you will run and try to do as best as you can.
Well, It is very dangerous, so
if you have been up all night,
think carefully about what is
the best thing for you to do
at that decisive moment –
to drag your tired body off to bed,
or to take the risk of running ,
or to find a safe place to watch the run from behind the fences.
where to sleep:
