Sunday, July 26, 1992

Bull Fight at Las Ventas


I am in Madrid, Spain today, and what better to do on a free Sunday than see a real Spanish bull fight! I took the subway from the University to Las Ventas and easily found the Plaza de Toros. Outside, there were dozens of vendors selling all kinds of bull fight memorabilia. I chose a large wall-poster because it had the names of all those who would bravely dare to go up against the bulls in today's performance! The ticket ran me a mere 625 pesetas.

It was a large stadium, and upon entry, the show was just starting. As the show proceeded, I have to admit that I was somewhat let down. While it was an interesting affair, there appeared to be no risk or danger. The bulls appeared tired and sluggish, and once shot with the tranquilizers, the dual became most unfair. The challengers accomplished what I thought was akin to slaughtering a napping cow. I'm not saying I wanted to see the matador get decapitated, but I expected a little bit more. The costumes and horse riding antics made it worth the while, though. I did not stick around for the grill-out afterwards.