'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' fans, take note! This Indian girl calls Spain's La Tomatina 'chaotic, physically demanding'
Tomatoes are overripe and unsuitable for sale, so they quickly turn into a mushy pulp, creating a strong odour that many find unpleasant
Thanks to Bollywood film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Spain’s popular ‘La Tomatina’ festival is now on almost every Indians bucket list. However, one Indian traveller says there’s more to those picture-perfect images, and that one must do more research before booking those tickets.
Meet Anali Gupta, an Indian content creator who attended La Tomatina last year and recently shared her candid experience on Instagram. However, her feedback wasn’t what many imagined or hoped for.
analligupta/Instagram
Isn’t as dreamy as Instagram makes it look
She said: ‘The festival was far more physically demanding than I had expected.” Calling it as "one of the toughest experiences" of her life, Gupta said no doubt the event was memorable, but not for the reasons people often imagine.
“La Tomatina isn’t as dreamy as Instagram makes it look. Yes, it’s one of the world’s most iconic festivals, but it’s also one of the toughest experiences I’ve ever had,” she said.
She also went on to share that since the tomatoes are overripe and unsuitable for sale, they quickly turn into a mushy pulp, creating a strong odour that many participants may find unpleasant. “The smell became so intense that I felt close to vomiting and noticed several other attendees falling sick as well.”
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Tightly packed crowds
She warned that those who are not comfortable in tightly packed crowds may find the event 'overwhelming'.
“I saw couples where the husband spent the entire time shielding his wife from the crowd and flying tomatoes. The pushing, chaos and intensity are very real,” Gupta said.
She added that many Indian tourists arrive expecting a cinematic experience similar to what was shown in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, but to their disappointment they end up discovering that the reality is far more chaotic and physically demanding.
Go with the right expectations
Despite sharing the downsides, Gupta clarified that she is not discouraging people from attending the festival.
“I’m not saying don’t go. I’m saying go with the right expectations, prepare yourself mentally, and decide if this is truly the kind of experience you want before spending so much money to get there,” she said.
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Netizens react:
A user wrote, "Thanks for sharing the genuine info." Another commented, "Thank you for such honest feedback, girl….This video must have helped a lot."
A third shared an experience, saying, "I lost my new iPhone there; it was the last leg of my Europe journey, lost phone, lost all the pictures."
Another pointed out, "Also, Spanish tomatoes are like, huge and solid. Getting hit by one feels like a rock to the face!"
