EJ and Rhe's World Trip: SPAIN 28 August – 1 September 2011 (Valencia, Bunol)

Hola!

We arrived in Valencia and found a campsite about 8km outside the city and checked in. We later found out that this is where the ‘fanatics’ stay so our stay was fairly rowdy lol! There was approx 600 ‘fanatics’ on that tour and we think there may have been at least 400 Aussies haha.. We had Aussie’s, Germans and Italians in campervans all around us so we had a few good nights J We went into Valencia with Tom and Kate and our new friends Trav and Dweebs and had a look around the old town. Valencia is such a nice city, a great mix of old and new architecture and a great vibe.

We went to the markets and the cathedral then shared a massive ‘Valencia Paella,’ which was chicken, rabbit, snails and beans. The paella was so delicious but we all struggled to get up after eating too much haha! We had a lazy day listening to the live music from the tour haha, it was very convenient staying right next them lol! We had too many bottles of Sangria (which was €1.50 for 1 litre!) and played cards all night, watching the occasional beer bong and general shenanigans unfold). Tom, Kate, Trav, Dweebs, EJ and I, and Holly and Darius (also Aussies we met) caught the bus transfer to Bunol on the morning of La Tomatina with our matching T-shirts haha!

We got into Bunol and had a drink then we made our way into the thick of the action! We pushed our way through the crowd, all the time being hosed down by the locals above on their balconies or the odd bucket of water thrown down. We were looking around and I spotted Mr Mikolay Podgorski!! My old friend from school was only a few steps away so we met up and then the siren went and we watched the first truck drive through the crowd. As it started coming past us we all got shoved up against the walls either side, we could hardly breathe but it was so funny! The first truck dumped right at our feet and we started getting hammered with tomatoes. We had a ball throwing them around and we could hardly move at all haha. Five more trucks came through and then everyone could push back into the middle to go nuts.

We ventured up to see the damage at the end of the street afterwards and there was a river of tomato with odd havianas and shirts everywhere lol! We had a quick wash in a waterfall but there was no way we were going to get the tomato out, especially our hair! After stripping off what we could we had a kebab and sangria for lunch, EJ had a suspicious looking sausage bun then we went for a dance then back down the street to the bus! We got back to the camp and washed all of the tomato off and had some more sangria! We had an awesome time at La Tomatina and can’t wait to come back and do it again! We are heading north again now!