La Tomatina - Tomatoes, tomatoes and more tomatoes
Published: 12/11/2009 by Timothy Birch and Siobhan
La Tomatina is probably the worlds biggest and certainly the messiest food fight. So when I heard that thisisvalencia.com were organizing a coach trip, I jumped at the chance to go. I have never experienced anything like it in my life, up to 40,000 people crammed into tiny streets. Mental! I mean I've read about it in various guide books, but nothing prepared me for the real thing.
We meet up with the thisisvalencia.com party at 8:45 outside the Palau de Musica for the short coach ride to Buñol and arrived at about 9:30 in the morning.
We followed the crowd down to the town center, which was already heaving. It was like an invading army swarming down into the town, from every street and lane more and more people pilled into the crowd. The more experienced were wearing goggles. I even saw one person wearing a snorkeling mask.
All the buildings were covered in plastic (to protect them from the tomatoes). The locals were all on their balconies and rooftops watching the invaders.
Once we got into the main street things really started to heat up. The only relief from the heat was when one of the locals would throw a bucket of water on us from the safety of their roof. When this happened the crowd started to go mad, chanting Agua, Agua, Agua.
With so many people the buckets of water weren't really sufficient, some people had hooked up hoses and were dousing the crowd, that's when things really took off. Men started ripping off each others camiseta´s (t-shirts) and within minutes a fully fledged tee shirt war was underway. The sodden camisetas became the first weapons of the invaders.
The streets had lights strung across them, because La Tomatina is a week long fiesta. But within 20 minutes each string of lights looked like bunting, with more ripped t-shirts than light bulbs hanging from each string.
The smell of so many people was starting to really fill the air, but it wasn't possible to do anything about it, there was simply nowhere to go. It took my nervous band 15 minutes to move from the center of the road to the pavement. We did this in the vain hope of evading the growing Guerra de Camisetas. After about an hour, we were totally wrapped up in the fight, moving to stand under water when possible and throwing the Camisetas at everything and everybody. (This is strictly against the rules by the way, you are only supposed to throw squashed tomatoes).
Then the cannon sounded, this was the cue for the trucks bearing the tomatoes to fight their way through the crowd. Each truck carried about 25 people on the back of it and about another 10 people hanging onto the sides, trying to climb in. The people in the back of the trucks were throwing great handfuls of tomatoes at everybody they passed, no one was safe.
The crowd went wild, the ground was covered in slippery tomato puree and people were picking up great big handfuls and chucking at first nervously at the people they knew, but by the time the second truck arrived, it turned into every man for himself.
By the time the third truck arrived, we were standing in tomatoes up to our shins. People splashed it with there feet, picking it off their bodies, clothes, heads, other peoples backs and chucked it indiscriminately at everybody and everything.
As soon as the second cannon shot sounded people stopped, we were now barely able to stand. The crowd fell silent for about a minute and slowly the noise started to build as friends separated in the fighting met up and began to laugh at the ripped clothes and tomato covered people all around them. Some people lay down on the road reluctant to leave.
As we made our way back to the bus things fell silent again. Somebody stopped us to take a picture of us. I was drained, dazed dumfounded at what had just happened. I would have believed it was a dream if it wasn't for the tomato juice running down from my face and the tomatoes under my feet in my shoes squelching between my toes with each step.
I am looking forward to the next thisisvalencia.com outing. It is a good way to see the best that the Valencia region has to offer. Organized by people who know the region and all the great festivals.
Siobhan
Thisisvalencia's Tomatina Tour will be back again for another round of tomato-slinging fun Next Summer 2010!
Our day trip includes a return journey on a lovely cool coach, the whole Tomatina in Buñol, a shower and swim to cool and clean off, and a delightful lunch of tapas and Paella (and all the beer and sangria you can drink!) before heading back to Valencia for around 6pm.
The best bits are:
·You can leave your gear on the coach, so can slosh around in tomatoes without a care in the world, safe in the knowledge your things won't get lost, stolen or broken
· We give you a pair of goggles so you don't get nasty bits in your eyes
· The shower and swim on the way home - to get back to the City clean, dry, and tom-free is a luxury, believe us!
· You get to meet a really fun group of people on the bus! (and you get to meet the TIVlc team - always a pleasure!!!)
Our start point is the Plaza del Ayuntamiento at 9am, and we get back to the same place for around 6 in the afternoon. All this, including the goggles and lunch of course! for a special advance price ofjust 55 euros.
GET ON OUR BUS!
If you want to book a place on our great tour please contact us here asap.
Booking couldn't be simpler! Just drop us an email telling us your name(s), Number in Party, where you are staying the night before and we'll reply with a paypal request for payment asking you for a deposit of 30€ per person- and you are on the bus for a great day out with the tour that gives you more than any other! Places are limited and sell out fast.- info@thisisvalencia.com for more information La Tomatina.
Photo Gallery
Good dirty fun!
