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June 2005
Wondering how
the whole "running with the bulls" thing works? This
page will explain it! This street bullfight took place in the
village of Vila Nova, about two miles from our house.
First, you have a bull. He's really big
and really angry because he's been bred and raised in a remote mountain
area with nothing to do but eat and fight with other bulls.
A bunch of people gather on a certain section of
street, on which the bull is released. There is a gang of guys
with funny hats and they hold a rope that is tied to the bull to prevent
him from going "out of bounds" and damaging cars and stuff.
The guys who sell ice cream and candy are
especially thankful for the rope because they can go make some money
when the bull is out of range.
When the bull is first let go, he's really pissed
off. You would be too if you were locked in a box for hours by
people who wanted you to chase them. So he comes running down the
street and the people make fools of themselves trying to get
away.
After a while, the bull gets tired of running
around chasing everybody. So then some geniuses come out and start
to taunt him. Sometimes they use umbrellas...
...sometimes they use blankets...
...and sometimes they just use
themselves! (Hint: if you want the bull to chase you, wear a red
shirt)
The US military does not allow it's members to
participate in the bullfights, so I stayed on top of this wall to take
the pictures. I did have to lift my legs a few times to avoid the
horns.
Tanya chose to stay behind the wall with some
of our friends. The plywood isn't always there, the locals put it
up to protect their fences.
One final thing to remember: don't ever bring
your good umbrella to a bullfight. They usually don't fare well
against the bull.
