Have you ever experienced something so profound that you can't seem to get it out of your mind? Last night in a Costa Rican pueblo (town) called Villa Real, I had that experience. The pueblo was close to Tamarindo and the taxi fare cost only 2000 Colones which is about $4.00. We went to see the bull fights that everyone in town had told us to see during the four day festival in Villa Real.
Although I had grown up in a farm town, I had never seen a bull fight. I guess I didn't really know what to expect, other than to see a bunch of locals gathered around a bull ring. What I saw and experienced shocked me. In Spanish class the other day my teacher had talked about sterotypes and had mentioned the machisimo sterotype that some people have of Costa Rican men. My teacher told us that the sterotype was actually true and that men in Costa Rica do have a macho attitude. I thought of what she had told us when we arrived at the festival and saw a bunch of men inside the bull ring. At first, people were just gathered around the ring...inside and on the fence and outside of the ring. There were people everywhere...families, men and women drinking beer, and some tourists too. There were carnival games in one corner, food and alcohol booths in another, and there was even a corner for karaoke.
My friends and I found a spot near the fence (outside of the ring of course) and I began to realize what was going on. The "macho" men who were standing inside were waiting for the bull to be released so that they could taunt it and attempt to ride the bull. Moments later a man began speaking into a microphone and he started a count down. Then, the bull was released from the gate. A guy ran around taunting the bull with a piece of cloth. The people inside the ring started running around. Some ran out of the way as the bull came near, others ran straight towards the fence and attempted to climb out of the ring as the bull approached. People who were sitting on the fence drinking beer either picked themselves up and jumped off or just sat there and laughed. There were guys on horses with ropes trying to wrangle the bull. Then, there were people who were actually trying to jump on the bull! It was INSANE! I stood there in shock.
I screamed each time the bull came near the side of the fence where I was (I was outside of course). I stood there scared and in disbelief that there were actually people inside taunting the bull. I also found myself taking photos; I was a bonified tourist. The first bull that was released ended up being taken in without anyone getting on top of it. There was about a ten minute break and then another bull was released. The same thing happened...guys ran around taunting it. When it came close to people who were sitting on the fence, some people kicked the bull. I stood there struggling to see through people and the fence because I wanted to make sure that if the bull were to break through the fence that I would be prepared.
Suddenly, people started screaming and I caught sight of a guy being thrown around in the air by the bull. The bull's horns had pierced the guy's chest and he was getting tossed in the air. I found myself screaming until the guy landed on the ground and the "macho" men ran to carry him to an ambulance. The image of him getting thrown around like a toy has been imprinted into my mind. Did I really see a guy get stabbed by a bull? I couldn't stop saying "Oh my God, oh my God!"
The most alarming part of the whole thing was that after that bull was taken in and there had been the ten minute break, ANOTHER bull was released and there were STILL people in the ring! As though the first tragedy wasn't enough, another guy ended up on top of the bull and then was thrown off and the bull stepped on him. That guy ended up on the ground and did not appear to be moving. He too was taken away in an ambulance.
I couldn't sleep last night. Images of those men getting destroyed by the bull lingered in my mind. Some of my friends wanted to stick around and go to a nearby bar or club but I had to head home, I was too disturbed. Why would people stand inside the ring and risk their lives for that? Did the guys survive? How could they treat an animal like that? Why were there so many (at least 1,000) people there? Why was I there? Why didn't I leave after the first guy got stabbed? I could probably write long answers to those questions, but I'll let you ponder them instead.
Today I had an amazing and adventurous day. I'll write a blog tomorrow about all of the adventure sports I did. In spite of the exciting and fun day I had today, the tragic incidents from last night seemed to wiggle their way into a few conservations I had with people. As much as I've tried to get the horror out of my mind, I can't. It makes a great story but I'm hoping that soon it'll be one that will no longer haunt me.
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