I brought along my hesitant friend who hated the idea because of the brutality to animals but she said "If I go and hate it, I can say I've tried it, seen it, and know how horrible it is". I just wanted to absorb the culture and see what all the fuss was about!
6 bulls stabbed and killed in each 2 hour long bullfight. More brutal than a Canadian hockey game.
As the first young bull came racing out of where he was penned, I felt my heart stop. He was beautiful, energetic, and my heart began to race as it dawned to me that this lively creature was about to be stabbed for sport.
I could barely watch.
But after the third bull was killed, I won't lie. I became pretty desensitized.
At one point an older Spanish gentleman in front of me was about to bite his cigar and I pulled my cigar cutter out of my purse and handed it to him. I felt very cool as he gave me an odd look and muttered "Gracias" and I then lit up my own cigar like a true Spaniard. Another man came and sat beside me and we spoke in Spanish and he told me all about the "toreros" who are the main performers in the bullfights. All in all it was a pretty amazing experience. Seeing people cheer when the torero makes a clean kill and become enraged and heckle the torero when the kill is not clean. The audience clearly appreciates when the torero is efficient in his kill and despise when it looks like the bull is suffering without need. Old Spanish women were on their feet chanting and waving their fans. It was pretty spectacular. I'm glad I went at least for the cultural aspect and to try to appreciate and understand what is considered normal and traditional for many people in Spain.
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