|
1. SANTO DOMINGO: The adventure begins
along the narrow, canyon like confines of
Pamplona's C/Santo Domingo as the rocket
is fired announcing the beginning of the
day's encerrio. It can be dangerous to
linger too long. You look around at the
faces in the crowd, not knowing what to
expect. A cheer goes up as the rocket
climbs into the summer sky. The lead
runners inch further down Santo Domingo
towards the holding pen, but only for a
moment. Suddenly the mass of bodies stop
in their tracks and surge back up the
slopping street as the bulls burst forth
from their pen full of nervous energy.
They quickly overtake the first line of
runners. The crowd parts to allow the
steers through to lead the way for the
fighting bulls. The adrenaline rushes,
your heart pounds.
2.
AYUNTAMIENTO & MERCADERES: The
route widens slightly at the top of Santo
Domingo. You race headlong toward the town
hall if you are among those lucky enough
to have reached Ayuntamiento Square one
step ahead of the bulls, for the street
quickly narrows once again as you pass
Mercaderes. The bulls seem to slow,
staying to the right along the wooden
barrier as they climb Santo Domingo, but
their pace is steady and hopefully they
are still running together. If you go down
ahead of the bulls, stay down. A runner
was killed in front of the town hall in
Plaza Consistorial in 1995 when he tried
to get back to his feet to rejoin the
run.
3.
ESTAFETA: Once across Plaza
Consistorial, the route makes a sharp turn
to the right onto the famous Estafeta, a
long narrow street lined with shops, tapas
bars and stores whose doors have been
barred shut giving you no where to hide
after the gate has swung close behind you.
Keep to the right of the bulls as you
enter the Estafeta. Carried by their own
weight and momentum, the bulls tend to
drift towards the left on the smooth stone
pavers that line the street, making it a
dangerous game if you're in their way.
Remember, this can be one on the most
dangerous stretches of the run if a bull
happens to go down while trying to make
the corner and is separated from the rest.
You may find yourself standing between the
lone, disoriented bull and where he thinks
he wants to go. You'll hear nothing except
the rapid pounding of your heart and for a
moment are unable to move. Thank San
Fermin for the shepherds.
4.
TELEFONICA: If you happen to make
it down the C/Estafeta ahead of, or with
the bulls, you'll find yourself and
hundreds of others at Telefonica, which
leads to the corral and the entrance of
the Plaza de Toros. Here, the runners
bunch up, ready to lead the bulls towards
the corral and on down into the ring. Keep
alert, for there is a good possibility
that one or more of the bulls has become
separated from the pack, increasing the
excitement and danger.
5.
CALLEJON: This dusty path takes you
down to the entrance of the bullring and
the tunnel leading out into the Plaza de
Toros.. It is narrow corridor that fills
quickly with shouts and horns as both bull
and runner try to share the same space, if
only for an instant ,before spilling out
into the bullring. Try to keep your feet
moving and don't look back. There isn't
time.
6.
PLAZA de TOROS: Once you have
passed through the gate and are inside the
bullring, break to the left or right,
keeping clear of the center of the ring
while the bulls head towards their pens on
the far side followed by hundreds of
frenzied
runners.
|
|
encierro
- "the running of the
bulls"
