July 2001
When I stepped off the train in Pamplona this year I was faced with a cold, hard fact: I didn't have enough money to get a place to stay. Hundreds of enterprising Pamplonans turn their apartments into miniature hostels, but the average going price for a bed at these cheapest of places is $20 (or more) a night. I had money for important things - food, alcohol, a place to stash my backpack - but not a bed. So I roughed it and slept outdoors the next four nights. Here is what I experienced, and what backpackers in a similar situation should and shouldn't do:
July 8-9: As soon as my friends and I reached Pamplona we stashed our backpacks in the city's central locker facility at Plaza San Francisco and headed for the bars. We either didn't notice the ominous black clouds gathering in the skies above or didn't care. We were in Pamplona! Time to party! But the rain started coming down around midnight, and by 1 a.m. we were cold, wet and miserable. At first we picked a spot on the steps of a Pamplona bank and tried huddling together, but the damp cement and a nasty wind chill kept us awake. Next we split into groups of three and four and searched for sleeping locales that might offer protection from the elements, but most places were either already taken or too far from the city center.
The rain finally stopped around 3 a.m. I retrieved my backpack from the locker facility and dug out a bed sheet I carried with me around Europe. My friends and I found a relatively dry spot underneath a Spanish festival tent near the Citadel, laid the bed sheet on the ground, and covered ourselves with an odd assortment of jackets, sweaters, and small blankets. Despite our unusual circumstances, I felt very safe and secure, and several people's blankets kept out the cold. By 4 a.m. our group of five was huddled together and fast asleep.
July 9-10: The previous night's quest for refuge had really sucked and I didn't want a repeat performance this night. So, during a lull in the partying I purchased a Pamplona newspaper and scanned the weather page. Fortunately the night's skies would be clear, the temperature relatively warm.
I wanted to find a find a decent sleeping place this night, especially one that was close to the action and the route of the encierro, and we found a perfect spot in Plaza San Francisco. Pamplona's main locker facility is located in the plaza, making it easier to retrieve blankets, money or other necessary items from our backpacks. There was also a quaint little store nearby where we could purchase a variety of items - Sangria, newspapers, cigarettes, aspirin and sandwiches - vital to any stay in Pamplona. Lastly, the plaza (roughly the size of a football stadium) had several platform-type gardens that made for perfect beds.
As soon as the night's festivities died down Mike Sobieraj and I and two new friends - Mike Scahill and Chris Moran - headed back to Plaza San Francisco. We met a group of Americans and Aussies in one of the plaza's gardens and everyone drank and talked for hours. One by one we drifted off to sleep, secure in our numbers and comforted by the soft grass underneath.
July 10-11: Forecasters predicted a slight chance of rain during the night, and while it didn't look too worrisome I didn't want to take any chances. I remembered seeing a lot of open construction sites around Pamplona's train station, so Mike Sobieraj and I searched for a place of refuge should the heavens open up. We found some promising locales and committed their location to memory, but fortunately the weather stayed clear and we again slept in Plaza San Francisco.
However, during the night I made a mistake that cost me several valuables. I had gotten so rip-roaring drunk that I passed out on 'Jill' and left a small backpack and sweater out on the grass. By morning they were gone, as were a few other items people left lying around. Another lesson became clear: when sleeping outdoors, keep all valuables under covers and in between bodies, and thus, out-of-reach of any sticky fingers. Aside from the theft I had another peaceful night's sleep.
July 11-12: A situation change during my final night in Pamplona required a new sleeping locale. The night of July 11-12 promised to be another clear night, but when we returned to Plaza San Francisco to prepare a bed I noticed two things: first, the Americans and Aussies we met our second night were gone; and second, groups of dirty, disheveled, suspicious people were positioned around the plaza. It was a big risk sleeping in the plaza without any group protection, so Mike Scahill, Chris and I (Mike Sobieraj left that morning, en route to Barcelona) decided to search out a secluded spot.
Now, before I go any further I have a confession to make: I like to travel with little money. I find it exciting, in a perverse sort-of-way, to visit a city with no itinerary and no place to stay. How will I eat? Who will I meet? Where will I end up? I know it sounds crazy, but I'm smart when it comes to this kind of traveling and in four years I've never had a major problem.
As we walked down Avenida de Guipuzcoa and headed toward the train station I spotted a park across the Arga River that looked promising. I ran the park through a 'sleeping outdoors checklist' I have committed to memory:
- Is the park generally clean and free of bottles, trash and other potentially hazardous materials?
- Is the park well lit?
- Is the park in a relatively safe part of town?
- Are other people sleeping in the park?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, as was the case this night, then it's a safe bet. I found a dry spot near the river and laid out 'Jill,' my trusty bed sheet. Mike Scahill and Chris dug out blankets. Before going to bed, however, I went through a 'sleeping outdoors routine' I also have committed to memory:
- Make sure everyone puts their wallet, passport and other absolute essentials inside their clothing, or in a bag that can be attached to their belt;
- Put all shoes, backpacks and other non-attached items under covers and between people;
- Someone should walk around the park and check out the other people. Are they backpackers? Do they look like trouble? A good sign in Pamplona is if the people are dressed in the red-and-white clothing traditionally worn during San Fermin. Look cocky and confident if you're the person who does this inspection;
- Lastly, if everyone in the group is thoroughly drunk or stoned, then someone should stay awake. A thief likes nothing better than to see a group of people stagger into a park, collapse onto the ground, and immediately start snoring. They could steal the clothes off your back and you wouldn't even know it.
We were drunk, but not wasted drunk, and when I did my walk around I acted like I owned the place. Confident that everything was safe, I joined my companions for one last night of sleep.
The morning's encierro went smoothly, and, after saying goodbye to Mike Scahill and Chris, I departed Pamplona filled with sadness and longing for Pamplona and its wonderful festival. More importantly, I departed in one piece and with most of my belongings, thanks to a few backpacker safety tips.
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