Thursday, February 28, 2008

Las luchas del toros

Okay, in case you don't know what that means, you should find out before you look at these pictures...
I know!! I can't believe it either! Yes, I went! Yes, I hated it! It was horrible and I debated about whether I should post pictures, but I did, and I am, so here goes....
There is a bullfighting season in Medellin. It lasts about six weeks. It ended last weekend. There is a special stadium made and used just for this purpose. There are usually 6 fights during an event (or rather 6 bulls getting tortured while dying a slow, painful and pointless death while people cheer on for entertainment purposes). The entire thing lasts about 3 hours. The stadium seats about 5,000 people. Some Colombians love it, but others do not like it and would never go. It seems to be more popular with rich people as it is an expensive sport ("sport" is not the first word that came to my mind when I saw this).
So why did I go? Well, I knew I would hate it...remember my vegetarian years? Well, yes I now love the taste of meat, but I still cry when I step on a spider and I still can't bring myself to kill a cockroach (my roomies can attest to that). I always worry more about the animals that might die in a movie than the humans and I have never been able to watch Lassie or even Bambi for that matter...they live happily ever after right?
So, I went because it is a cultural thing here and I thought I needed to experience it. Enough said. Here are the pictures. I will not describe the gory details. If you want to hear about it, just ask me the next time we talk and I will tell you about it. And honestly, many of you may not want to look at the pictures. It really isn't nice.....
I have decided that in the future when I feel like I need a cultural experience in Colombia I am going to go to mass, which I haven't done yet...maybe next week I will go to confession and ask the guy in that little room to forgive me for going to this horrible event....


Tina, Tony, Jenna and Jennifer in front of the stadium

At our seats....Jennifer, Tina, Jenna, Tony
Jose, Carolina, me, andvLiz



Before the fights start there is a procession of the horses and matadors. The horses are wearing armor because they too participate in the fight....another very disturbing piece of this event

The white things are knives in the bull's back. The guy in the black is getting ready to stab the bull again with more knives.

A very sad and hurting bull....yes that is blood






Sorry!! I warned you that you might not want to look.
HORRIBLE!!!!
And I REALLY don't understand why people enjoy this and why it is even allowed.
Where is PETA when you need them??