Bull Fighting

Bull fighting in Peru...I will never understand the obsession. I have attended several bull fighting shows with hope to understand people's infatuation with it and this cultural obsession. The way I would describe bull fighting in Peru is that its kind of like a rodeo but with only bulls and men who "fight" them. Its a long time tradition that comes from Spain and people here in Peru (at least in the mountains of Ancash) just LOVE it. LiteralIt kind of reminds me of rodeos in the US, but people fight bulls instead of ride them. Basically a man goes into a rink with a anxious, angry bull and the man (who is usually very drunk) tries to make it out alive. Sometimes they do classier versions in which they will dress like the Spanish bull fighters do and sometimes even actually fight the bull to kill it. I burst into tears the first time I saw the bull fighter kill the bull. Here are some photos of two of the many bull fighting shows I've been to in my few months in Ancash. And don't worry, I'll spare you all photos of the dead bloody bull that I saw killed. .

The bull stadium in Huallanca

My mom and my aunt at the bull show with their babies :)

The bull conquistador in action 

Me at the bull show with so me of my students

Like in rodeos in the US, they clowns who come out for entertainment

The bull fighting show that I saw in Chiquian, a town a few hours away (yes my family was willing to drive two hours to see a bull show). 

You wouldn't believe how many people they fit in this stadium which concluded of a bunch of boards tied together on poles in the ground that we sat on (literally). I thought we were all going to fall to our death. 

Spanish style