26 August 2008 to 28 August 2008

Barcelona, Spain to Valencia, Spain

26 August 2008

We checked out of our hostel this morning and headed to the train station to catch our train to Valencia as we had booked a La Tomatina hotel tour with Topdeck. We checked into our hotel and headed to the beach to meet up with Hayley and Niki who were also in town for La Tomatina. We laxed out on the beach and chatted about our holidays so far. A little foreign lady came up and offered a massage for 15 euros and Debra thought this was a bargain and had a massage on a beach in Spain!

27 August 2008

We woke up early this morning to get on our bus to take up to Bunol for La Tomatina. Unfortunately for us though our bus broke down!! Nooooo, lucky we left lots of time to get there and once our replacement bus got there we drove on. As we got there later than a lot of other people we were determined to get in the action and not miss out, and in the action (with pinkie - my camera) we got, we squished, pushed and pummeled our way through 45,000 plus people to get a good spot in the action. The locals love La Tomatina and love spraying the tourists with water from their balconies!

Debra's outfit -----------Me all determined ---------------Tomato truck

As we were walking through the crowds there was just chaos everywhere. There was a group of guys in the street having a massive t-shirt fight and for any unsuspecting females just ripping their clothes off left right and centre. Fortunately for us we made it though unscathed, phew!!

We found a good possie in a side street with Debra holding me up and making sure I didn't get lost or too squashed. We were a comfortable squashed until they brought in the trucks. Imagine you are squashed you can't move but can still breath. Well, imagine, everyone moving so that a truck can come through!! Owwweee! Once the trucks had passed through and dumped their load the fight was on. We were knee deep in tomatoes and fighting and throwing to our hearts content. There were tomatoes everywhere in my camera lens and every other crevice of your body! Once you got knocked over there was not getting up by yourself you either put your hand up and some young lad would pull you up or make the fetal position!

After 20 minutes or so we decided we were all tomato fighted out and decided to make our way out. We headed towards what we thought was the exit but before we could even think about leaving we had to make our way though the t-shirt fight. We took few deep breathes and bolted, in the middle we thought phew we can make it, it wasn't until the other side that they hit. About 10 Spanyards surrounded us, they attacked Debra first ripping off her sturdy t-shirt and then they hit on me. They started ripping my t-shirt off, I fought for my life and after a kick to the gonads we managed to escape! Bastards! We then had to battle though the rest of the crowds - imagine before we had to fight our way though 45,000 people going pretty much the same way, now we were going against the tide. This would have been the worst part, you couldn't move, you couldn't breath, lucky we found some guys and I pretty much got lifted out of there by Debra and two hot Spanyards, cause once you fell you would of got trampled and cause I am so short I got lost in the crowd. I can tell you I fell lucky to have made it out alive with my clothes and my shoes on!

As we were walking down the side streets brushing all the tomatoes and man fur (ewwww) off our bodies, who should we meet up with - Hayley and Niki - out of the 45,000 people wandering the streets we met up with them, totally random.

They however weren't covered in tomatoes, as they were pushed out by the crowd, we soon directed them to a good spot and they soon got covered.

The locals were real great and hosed us off as we walked back to the bus. I had a great time at La Tomatina and would totally recommend it but make sure you have a friend bigger than you and that you are prepared to be molested, squashed and smell like tomatoes three days later!!

Tomato dreggs

28 August 2008

Feeling battered, bruised and still smelling like tomatoes we headed into "colon" to look around before collecting our gear and heading to the airport to start our Dublin adventures!

As always more photos in my photo gallery.