La Tomatina

La Tomatina! One of the most well known festivals in the world. Undoubtedly, the largest tomato fight in the universe. Maybe you've seen a picture, or even a commercial.

From what we had heard and seen, we envisioned a large open space with several truckloads of whole tomatoes lying around to be thrown one at a time at an unsuspecting victim. "HA Ha!" we would say as we grazed someone on the shoulder. Laughter would be had by all and then we would stroll away and have a beer.

WRONG!

We stayed at the Purple Nest Hostal which is brand spanking new! They organized 4 buses to bring unsuspecting Tomatina goers to the excitement. Most of us were wearing our favorite flip flops, an old pair of shorts and our free Tomatina t-shirts which we were hoping to keep afterwards as a snazzy white-turned-pink souvenir. Goggles are a must as the tomato acid stings the eyes.

The bus drops you off. You head straight for the beer stand and buy a huge plastic cup of beer/sangria. This is to ensure that you get into the mood in the unlikely event that walking into a tomato fight with about 10000 people doesn't get get you going. You walk down this long winding road and then the unmistakeable sound of a massive screaming crowd begins to fill the air. Subtly at first, but then with a decided force, this din gets louder and louder as the crowd gets thicker and crazier.

Eventually, we couldn't walk any further as there was literally a wall of bodies in front of us. As I turn to ask Jo whether we should put on our goggles now or later... THWAP! I get a tomato in the shoulder. I look in the general direction of its thrower and a second projectile hits my beer cup deftly cracking it along the side and, like a criminal leaves a trail, this tomato left its guts strewn messily across my nose. Goggles on, and in we go!

Smiling, and shouting, Jo and I move forward in a teaming mass of compressed bodies. Just as I turn my head to look at Jo (turning my body at this point is not an option) and suggest we move forward, I am victim of yet another attack - I feel hands on my neck and, in one quick tear, my shirt disappears like magic. Yeah... I didn´t really need another t-shirt.


Moving forward, the crowd descends into a narrow street with no exits in sight. Steadily the tomatoes hitting us become more frequent and the slop of tomato stew at our feet gets deeper and deeper. Then as we are stalled in the middle of this human cake batter in the middle of the street, a massive truck with a new payload of tomatoes starts making its way towards us. Laughing at first, Jo and I get ready for the pelting. Then the crowd realizes just a bit too late that inevitably, this huge truck needs to get through this winding alley. The way an ice breaker splits the ice fields, this massive slow moving beast, cut through the crowd.

It drove through the lane where there physically was no room for it to pass. Slowly, almost too slowly, the bodies compress. There is a physical limit to which a human body can be compressed. Today, we experienced this maximum. Just as we await the cry of the first crush victim, we see the end of the truck and the crowd spill into the void made by the wake of the monster. No Joke...La Tomatina is scary shit. Panic fails to describe the energy that truck created in the crowd.

Then, just as quickly as it got scary, it got funny again. Hordes of people with what looked like tomato vomit on their heads and shoulders strolled to the river to wash away the mess. The town smelled like old rotten tomatoes, lone flip flops lay in the side walks and the crowds calmed.

It's tradition for the locals to rinse and hose down everyone from their balconies. Little old ladies hosed down big messy crowds and all was happy again. The happy was aided just a little by the post tomato beer and sangria that is as much tradition as the tomatoes.

The look on Jo's face in this after photo pretty much says it all.

Jo's entry starts here:

After surviving the insanity that is La Tomatina (thanks to Rich saving me from the throngs of people making me feel more than a little panicky), we had a quick meal, went back to our room and flopped down on the bed, exhausted from the adrenaline rush. Once recovered, we headed out for a stroll to enjoy the old buildings of Valencia. This city really is beautiful. I don't know if it was the thrill of the day, the romantic setting or the sangria but the evening ended in a marriage proposal from Rich. We are happy to announce that we are engaged! Rich gave me an amazing ring that he had designed with a local Montreal jewelry artist. It's amazing.

As for wedding dates, well, we have some free time on our hands to think that one over so I guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out what happens next...