Los Toros Event in Miramar Puntarenas

This past Saturday I attended a "Los Toros" event held in Miramar, Puntarenas in Costa Rica.  As described in an earlier post, the Toros events are a mix between a U.S. Rodeo and the running of the bulls held in some parts of Europe.  Now that I've attended one of these very popular Costa Rican pastimes personally, I can add that there were also circus-like elements involved (including an array of popular costumed characters, midget bullfighting, and an amateur soccer game in the midst of an angry bull who had been let loose on the field).  Additionally, we were graced with a couple of "celebrity" appearances at this particular Toros event (one being a former political personality and the other an exotic male dancer from Brazil - I had his picture to share with you, but my boyfriend made me delete it).

Los Toros events are surprisingly popular here in Costa Rica.  The cost of a ticket for this particular function was 10,000 colones (about $20 per ticket). With all the advertisements throughout the year promoting these events there is obviously a good level of profit being made from them.

Since I am an animal-lover, I struggled a little with the look of some the bulls.  Many of them had open wounds on their bodies.  I'm not sure if this is caused by the bulls goring each, or if the animal-handlers themselves cut or burn the bulls right before they enter the arena just to get them to give a livelier performance for the crowd.  Interestingly, it seemed like some of the bulls were actually having a little fun with the whole thing and that  they innately knew when to stop before really hurting any of the 100 or so men inside the field.  One overweight man in the ring fell down in front of two different running bulls as he was attempting to climb up the white fence surrounding the perimeter of the field.  But both times, the bulls pulled back just before being able to actually gore him, and instead turned their attention to some of the other men on the field.

Admittedly, I did get a couple laughs from some of the costumed characters' antics and really enjoyed seeing the bullriding skills exhibited by a few of the riders. Also, the cowboys who lassoed in the bulls after each mini performance demonstrated impressive talent and grace in their art.  Despite the more entertaining facets, I'm pretty sure this will be the last Toros event I'll be attending here in Costa Rica.  I'd much rather spend my money on enjoying the country's natural wonders instead:)

Costa Rica "Toros" Pre-Party Celebration

Last night, as we were preparing to wind down and go to sleep, my boyfriend and I were abruptly startled by the loud sounds of a drumming band seeminly right outside our window.  Peeking out through the curtains, we realized that the main street through Miramar, off which we live, was lined with pedestrians on both sides and that there was a parade procession making its way down the street.

As we later found out, this is the "pre-party" to this weekend's local "Toros" event being held in Miramar, Puntarenas in Costa Rica.  "Toro" means bull in Spanish, and the Toros events which are popular here in Costa Rica are a mix between a U.S. style rodeo and the running of the bulls practice that takes place most famously in Spain.

The parade and the on-lookers were heading towards the actual grounds where the Toros event will be held, which much to my surprise, is right behind our apartment. So we decided to get dressed and follow the merriment into the event area.  There were food and drink vendors, mobile dancing stages, and plenty of liquor to go around.  The marching bands that had participated in the street parade further showcased their artistry in stationary mini-performances in front of the attentive crowd (see video below).  A couple of very drunk men from the audience felt compelled to join in with the dancers, often getting a little too close to these scantily-clad women, which resulted in them getting slapped more than a few times.

I really enjoyed the Toros pre-party atmosphere last night, even though the blaring music kept me up past one in the morning!  I will be attending the actual Toros event this Saturday so stay tuned for that posting.