Surfing Gazpacho

Trip Start Apr 27, 2006
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Trip End Apr 01, 2008


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Flag of Spain  ,
Saturday, September 2, 2006

I took the ferry to Valencia and overnighted there, not doing much other than eating dinner and having a couple of drinks with the guys I met in Madrid because it was an 8:00 a.m. train to Bunol on August 30th, where Tomatina occurs.  As I mentioned, I have no photos because the zip-lock bag my camera was in unzipped at some point and the tomatoes got in, but I pulled some off the Internet and they are in the album.
Simply, it was one of my favorite events - hilarious, goofy, surreal, wet, slimy, and acidic.  30,000 people pack down into three streets in the center of town and they roll in dump trucks of tomatoes, and for one hour exactly people huck them at each other.  There are some rules, such as to crush them before throwing and to not rip t-shirts, but they are not always followed.  Every 15 minutes or so the truck rolls through again dumping fresh tomatoes.  After an hour, I was soaked and ankle deep in gazpacho.  The juice burned my eyes for a day and a half, but it was worth it.
When it's over, you get hosed down by friendly locals, change your clothes if you were smart enough to bring a second set (and throw out what you wore) and sit outside drinking beer shooting the shit with people from all over the world.
I didn't even sleep that night.  I showered at my hotel.  Hosed down my Tevas, went out, and had a cab take me straight to the airport for my 6:00 a.m. flight to Milan, to Atlanta, then home.
The whole trip was a phenomenal blast, and I look forward to leaving in January for Cuba, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.
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