By Emma Ross-Thomas
BUNOL, Spain (Reuters) - Blood-red streams of tomato juice oozed through the streets of the tiny Spanish town of Bunol as tens of thousands of people hurled tonnes of squashy fruit in the world's biggest food fight.
"Fantabulous! It's the most exciting experience I've ever had with a group of people," Krista Moller, 19, from San Francisco, said on Wednesday.
With a thundering firework at midday signalling the start of the "Tomatina", five trucks dumped 120 tonnes of plum tomatoes into Bunol's narrow central street where 35,000 people were expectantly awaiting the ammunition.
Locals and visitors from around the globe lobbed the tomatoes at each other and, when the fruit turned to puree, reached down to whisk red froth into the air. The "People's Square" filled with the acidic sweet smell of tomatoes and slimy stained bodies.
People rubbed juice into each others' hair and skin while some men took advantage of the party to grab women and smear their chests in pulp.
"We never do anything like this in Brisbane, we're all so controlled...It's insane," said Australian Toni Wolter-Tsang.
"It's bonkers!," said Clare Fuchs from London. "I don't think I'll be having a Bloody Mary this afternoon."
Locals had draped plastic sheeting over their houses and some even boarded up windows but the town's white facades were still left spattered red.
TOMATO ROOTS
Locals of Bunol -- with a population of 9,600 -- say the tradition started in the mid-1940s, under the authoritarian rule of General Francisco Franco. Goltran Zanon, 70, locally recognised as one of the founding fathers of the now world-famous event, says it all began with kids pitching tomatoes at balloons during a balloon-flying show.
Others say a group of youngsters started a food fight with their salad at lunchtime and it became a tradition.
The event -- the highlight of a week-long festival -- was banned for a short time when revellers pelted a government official and the town held a funeral for its favourite fruit.
"More than half the village showed up in mourning to bury an enormous tomato," Zanon told Reuters.
But Pilar Masmano, 80, says the festival -- which costs the town hall 36,000 euros (25,000 pounds) -- is not what is was.
"It's just degenerate now," she said, adding that foreigners do not know how to throw a tomato as the locals do, squashing it first to ensure a satisfying splat rather than a painful thump.
Alisa from Japan agreed: "He hit me in the eyes...It was very painful."
As the fruity orgy wound down and the hoses came out to wash down the streets, die-hards made for the deepest pools of tomato and wallowed like pigs in mud.