Sunday, July 12, 2009, 05:39 AM EST
[
General]
Hemingway wrote about running with the bulls in Pamplona, but he just wrote. "Fiesta, the Sun also Rises" may have been a classic and made the bull run famous, but that's not how I roll-gotta hop in and run, you can't spend your life on the fence because that is boring.
Hemingway did spend a lot of time drunk down in Key West, so he can't be all bad.
Got up early this morning to go to running of the bulls here in Pamplona. Most of the city was still up, bars were packed and music blaring as I got to the place where you get ready to run.
There is a little strategy to the bull run. The first section up Santo Domingo street is uphill and most dangerous, eight deaths have occurred at the end of the street here.
The next place is the safest, the Plaza Consistorial, right after the first turn. Dead man's corner is next and you don't want to be caught here. If you are, stay close to the turn because this is where the pile ups occur with bulls crashing into people, crashing into fences.
The last part is the "no turning back" zone. Calle de la Estafeta is 300 meters straight and almost nowhere to hide, you better be ready to run if you get caught here.
After Calle de la Estafeta comes the scariest part-the tunnel to the Plaza del Toros, because it is narrow and this is where the guy got killed on Friday and today a guy got gored and trampled and carted off in ambulance at the same place.
This is where the bulls and a herd of people cram together and try to make it into arena, the bulls always make it.
I was in arena today when pile up occurred in tunnel, bulls and people ended up in a big pile and the worst thing that can happen occurred-a bull got turned around and went crazy. This is where the guy got trampled; I haven't heard an update yet on his condition.
When bulls are just running they are dangerous, however, if a bull gets separated and turned around, this is the most dangerous time.
After the last bull gets in the arena tunnel is closed and you are in the arena with a sold out crowd and a bunch of bulls. Great stuff.
This is something I would recommend to everyone to see once, it is awesome.
I went to bull fight last night and hated that part; I don't see any sport in sticking swords in helpless animals until they die. I think it is sick and anyone who likes it is sick as well. This is pathetic to me.
After the run the bars are in full force-at 830a! Incredible.
I passed on the party and went back to hotel. Ofcourse, I found the one redneck cop who gave me a ticket for riding in the back of a taxi without a seat belt. I passed people drunk, passed out, using bathroom on sidewalk and this local redneck cop has me pay him 105 Euros on the spot for a seatbelt ticket. Great.
Glad to see my friend Brock Lesner won last night. I am very, very happy for Brock.
I am here one more day then on to Barcelona and Andorra, the only country I haven't been to in Western Europe, and then to play golf in St Andrews at the Old Course.
Then I return to work for Layfield Energy, got a big announcement in a few weeks, we just signed our biggest deal to date. And continuing to build the best nutrition site in the world www.CustomMuscle.com