La corrida de toros

So I did something I said I'd never do: go to a bull fight. In my defense (and this is more to assuage my own guilt...) I mainly went because the tickets were ridiculously cheap and I knew this would likely be my first and last time. Plus, I wanted to see this cultural aspect of Spain. Oh, and I decided that unless I saw it myself, I wouldn't be able to have an opinion. Now I can say, having gone to a bullfight myself, that it is truly horrific and something I would not want to go to again, ever. To stress this point, I will make a PRO/CON list of Bullfighting: 

Pros: The Plaza is beautiful. The music and costumes are great. That's about it. 

Cons: 1) If you are sitting really close (like we unfortunately were, despite the fact that our tickets were really cheap--still don't know why that is...) you can hear the bull moaning. 2) You can see the blood from where the picadors (men on horses) use their lances to stab the bull. Not a joke. The same goes for the hook things (not a technical term) that are also placed (well, one of the bullfighters--not the main "matador," but one of the others, not sure of the name for them--runs and stabs the bull with these, too) in the bull. 

Me and Ashley before the bullfighting began. Not sure why I'm so happy. BTW--that women in front of me was sitting so far back I had no knee room!! 

Cons Continued: 3) If the matador stinks (which the first one did) he is unable to kill the bull on the first try. This means it takes an obscene amount of time for the bull to die (which of course we are watching). In fact, at the end of the first round, it was necessary to continually stab the bull so he would die. 4) The bull is then dragged out of the ring while triumphant music is played. 5) This should have been at the beginning, but it was something I forgot to mention. When the bull is angry (and wouldn't you be) he sometimes goes over to the picadors (the men on the horses) and uses his horns against the horse. So, yes, the horse (whose eye are covered, and who is an innocent bystander) is also subjected to this madness.

While this whole "spectacle" was happening a man was smoking a cigar and another was smoking a cigarette and the combination of the smoke with the bullfight made me utterly nauseated. Needless to say, I stayed for two bulls (they do 6!!!--again, why this is necessary, I do not know). And then I left. 

Terrible bullfighter who could not kill the bull, and thus the bull suffered. Get a new profession. 

Some people claim this is a cultural experience. I am sorry if I do not see the culture in this event. RIP 6 bulls.