Hey, watch what you're looking at...

You know how Americans smile at you on the street if you happen to have awkward eye contact? Or even just to be friendly? Nope, doesn't happen in Spain.  They just stare you down like you're some freak of nature.  

But upon returning to America, I seemed to have forgotten that little fact.  So I'm in Sweet Tomatoes with my mom, watching the obesity of America become more of a problem right before my eyes, and upon our departure, I stopped in to use the restroom.  Some lady smiles at me in the bathroom, and all I can think to myself, is "Why is this broad smiling at me?" All of a sudden, WHOAAA.  I've become hardened.  Haha, well at least in that respect. I guess I can work on that smiling thing, I tended to miss it while in Spain...

El Txupinazo, or "Let's throw a lot of things at a lot of people" party

Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise.  Great on burgers, even better for throwing at people.  Wine and champagne?  Good to drink, better to spray people with in large quantities.  The txupinazo, or chupinazo (tx is Basque-speak) started off the week of festivities for San Fermin, or Running of the Bulls.  At 12 pm on Monday, July 6, City Hall (el Ayuntamiento) sets off a huge rocket that officially marks the start of the festival.  Everyone puts on their red pañuelos (neck scarves) and sprays everyone with wine and champagne and water.  If you're in front of the Ayuntamiento, you're basically in a giant, dangerous, and wet mosh pit.  I got the picture above off MSNBC...it just shows you how many people were there! So we chose to stay in Plaza del Castillo, where other food types are allowed to be thrown, creating a huger mess.  And, of course, Rule #1 is to wear all white...and expect it to be ruined.  There's no way you're leaving the chupinazo clean.  It's just not happening.  As you can see, we have both before and after pictures...pretty crazy.  

After the chupinazo, we all headed down to Calle Estafeta, which was basically a huge street party and a bunch of bars with DJs.  Some Spanish guy spent 25 euros to buy us all hats. Obviously, the love was flowing.    After an afternoon nap, a long shower and some clean clothes, we went back out to watch fireworks, which was probably the best show I've ever seen.  Sorry, Kirkwood, but your fireworks don't really compare.  I don't even think St. Louis could top this...

Run Bull Run.

You gotta be pretty hardcore if you want a spot to watch the encierro (bullrunning).  On Monday, Alex and I got there at 6:30 am, which was way too late.  So we learned our lesson--on Wednesday, we arrived at 5 am.  We scored a spot right on the fence, so we had an amazing view of the running.  Only thing that would have been better would be a balcony, but hey, what can you do? 

It was a long three hours on that fence, fighting off angry Basques who wanted our spots, but we somehow managed.  Our view was great, though my photo-taking skills were not as good.  I only managed to get a photo of a steer running, not a bull.  But it gives you some idea of what it looks like.  Here's a photo from my friend Andrea, who managed to get on a balcony on Calle Estafeta, which is the most well-known street in the running. 

Get your game face on.

Wow.  So San Fermin ended up being probably the most epic party I have ever been to in my life.  Normal population: 200,000.  San Fermin population: 1 million.  The professional San Fermin-goers know how to do it:  Go to fireworks at 11 pm.  Stay up all night, get a spot for the bull-running at 5 am.  Watch bulls run at 8 am, get churros at 9 am. Bedtime: 10 am.  Repeat each day.  As a result, let's just say that the normally clean, calm and pristine city of Pamplona turned into absolute chaos.   

Though Pamplona streetsweepers are remarkably efficient the rest of the year, there was no way they could clean up PAMPLONA: WAR ZONE, which results from hordes of partying foreigners and Spaniards alike. Case in point, the Ciudadela.  As you can see from this picture, people just set up camp among all the trash.  Tent or no tent, if you need a place tosleep, the grassy Ciudadela is the place to be.