Adventure is Out There!: Corrida de Toros/Bullfighting

When I heard that Bullfighting would be happening in Spain, I thought this would be an experience of a lifetime and my chance to delve into the Spanish culture. You always here things about bullfighting such as the guys wear weird outfits, they kill the bulls, bulls hate the color red and it makes them angry, and many other things. Well that's what I heard about it at least. On the way towards the arena, we met some other Americans who are studying abroad in Granada but in a different program. They were nice and we decided to go to see the show together. If you ever go to see a bullfighting show make sure you ask for tickets in the shade! Shade = sombre, sun = sol. If your ticket says sol you will be in the sun. I wasn't in the sun but other students in my program didn't know better and were placed in the sun.

We brought tickets at the top of the arena because it was the cheapest and we weren't for sure if we could handle watching the show for so long. The show started with the band playing music while there is a parade of all the Toreros/ Matador. Each matador has six assistants: two picadores (lancers on hourseback), three banderillers (bullfighters) and amozo de espadas (sword). Together they from a Cuadrilla (Engourage). The word "matador" is only used in English whereas in Spanish the more general "torero".

Once the entourage is on the field, they test the strength of the bull by encouraging the bull to run towards them with the magenta and gold capote ("cape"). The main Torero is the one in gold. The others wear silver. Next, the Picador stabs the bull in the back of the neck where there is a huge muscle giving the bull its first wound and loss of blood. The main Torero then does tricks and such to fool the bull and wow the crowd with the capote. Then the three banderilleros stab the bull with two banderillas, sharp barbed sticks into the bull's shoulders. These anger and invigorate, but further weaken, the bull who has been tired by his attacks on the horse and the damage he has taken from the lance. After about stabbing them four or five times the Torero goes in for the kill with the sword. This can get pretty gory. Once the bull is dead, the Torero cuts the ear of the bull and throws it into the crowd and the crowd waves white handkerchiefs for doing “such a great job”.

I thought the show consisted of killing just one bull but it actually consist of killing about 8 or so. After they killed the first bull I thought to myself “wow that was quick, let's go home”, but then another bull came running out. I could not sit through the whole the show. After about 3 bulls, I got this queasy feeling in my stomach, spit started forming in my mouth, and I felt I was on the verge of throwing up. So I left before I saw another bull get killed. On the way out I happened to see them skinning the bull I just saw killed. Afterwards, I was completely turned off from meat. I didn't want to eat meat for dinner and was highly considering being a vegetarian. One of my goals in life is to be a vegetarian but it is hard for me to do and seeing a bullfighting show was the icing on the cake I need to make steps toward to becoming one. I ended up buying peanut butter and jelly and eating PBJ sandwiches for the week.

The parade marks the beginning of the event

Testing the bulls strength

The torero does tricks like getting on their knees

This banderilleros is about to stab the bull with two banderillas

This is a picture of a picador who stabs the bull in the back of the next with the long rod in his hand. Notice how protected the horse is. Usually the bulls would kill the horses.