Toros

I'd been resisting my urge to go to the Bull Fights since I first heard they were a part of the Fiestas de Quito, because I think the idea of killing bulls for entertainment is absolutely bizarre and cruel and unnecessary. So, we had been very curious and feeling like it's sort of a once-in-a-lifetime deal, but not too excited at paying to support the sport. BUT, we caved and curiousity got the best of us today. Anyel and I walked ourselves to the Plaza de los Toros today, bought some scalped tickets outside the gates, and entered the world of sombreros and button-up shirts. Everybody had a hat, and if you didn't there were various businesses handing out free hats with propaganda. A bottle of Brahma beer cost 50 cents, there were the typical stages set up all around the outside of the arena with skimpy skirts dancing salsa, and more high-heeled boots than I've ever seen in one place. We ran into my friend Shawn from history class, who had come by himself, so Anyel and I invited him to sit with us.

I kind of had no idea what to expect, because I've never seen an actual bull fight on TV. The dirt arena has a chalked circle in the center, and a man with a big chalkboard walks around the circle announcing the name of the matador, the bull, and how much the bull weighs. Then, another man comes out into the arena, takes off his hat, bows, and the fight begins. There are 5 or 6 men in traditional dress with pink capes who kind of tease the bull and the crowd for a while. The bull enters the arena already poked in the shoulder with a short spear. After the initial teasing, two other men enter with decorated spears, no capes, and their job is to quickly stab the bull and jump out of the way before getting gouged. Before each portion of the fight, there are trumpets and drums in the crowd that play a little ditty. It's kind of like a warning that something else is coming... poor bulls.

So, at this point the bull has been prodded 5 times, and there's a good bit of blood running down its sides. Next, a man rides out on an armored and blindfolded horse with a kind of javelin, and while he's sticking the bull, the bull is ramming into the side of the horse. Two times the bulls actually lifted the horses up in the air, which ended in the rider falling to the ground and running for safety while the horse lay helpless on its side, blindfolded no less, the bull still butting its horns into the horse. That makes for 6 holes and a very angry bull.

And NOW, the actual matador comes to strut around and get as close to the bull as he can without getting hit. He has a red cape and a long sword which he doesn't really use. There is such a macho attitude and arrogant posture required from the matadors, some of them kneeling in front of the bulls, some touching the bull as it runs past, and some ending up with a gimp leg or a horn to the kidney. It's kind of an amazing thing to watch, but mostly just horrifying. After plenty of posturing and egging the poor, bleeding, and rapidly tiring bull on, the matador goes to the edge of the arena to switch out his sword for the "killing" sword. He returns to face the bull, holding the sword up in the air, and the next time the bull aproaches he sticks the entire sword into the bull, entering at the shoulder. In most cases, it's not much longer until the bulls legs crumple beneath it, and another man gives the final blow, a short dagger between the head and shoulders. Then, they tie a rope around its neck, attach that to two horses, and drag the bull from the arena.

Absolutely one of the most disrespectful ways to die. Perhaps that's me being culturally insensitive, but it just seems like a terrible display of macho arrogance to me. And I'm really glad we went, because it was absolutely fascinating to see how well they knew how the bulls would react, and how almost choreographed the entire thing was.


Stage I, "teasing."


This man had just stabbed the bull with the two spears, and as you can see, almost got himself stabbed as well.


Here is the blindfolded horse, the furious bull, and the javelin bearer.


This is the actual matador. Check out his posture. "Matador" means killer in spanish.


More matador and bull in action.


I was holding my breath, and everyone else was whistling and cheering and waving their hats in the air at this moment. I didn't get a picture of it, but later the matador was actually standing in front of the bull with this hand right between its horns.


And the crowd goes wild.