Ole! Vamos a la Capea!

     
       I have been in Spain for almost a month now and I have done some pretty awesome things. So far, I have attended Madrid’s Olympic Host City Festival, Vogue’s Annual Fashion Night Out as well as visited various museums and tourist attractions.  There is one event, however, that stands out from the rest. In fact, it has been one of my wildest experiences thus far!

Olympic City Host Festival

Vouge'sFashion Night Out

  If you ever find yourself in Spain and someone asks you, “Quieres ir a una Capea?” Say YES! Three weeks ago while walking through campus I noticed a student organization selling tickets to an exclusive event for erasmus (foreign exchange) students. The event was advertised as “a traditional Spanish party” called a Capea. I bought a ticket to the all day event not really knowing what I was getting myself into. The 30 euro ticket included round trip transportation, unlimited paella, drinks, DJ music and dancing all of which would ultimately add up to a pretty unforgettable day.

      So, on the following Saturday, I arrived at school at 11 am (which is fairly early considering Spanish night life usually ends around 6 am) to attend the Capea.  I boarded the huge plush luxury bus headed to an unknown destination outside of Madrid with 79 half-asleep Erasmus students. An hour later, our bus was traveling down a lone dirt road approaching a farm in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.  As I disembarked the bus, I was a bit confused as to what we were doing at a farm. All of the sudden, the gates to the farm opened, revealing a plaza lined with tables and chairs, a DJ booth and a bar. After getting a beverage, I started to explore the plaza and a nearby farm house that was decorated with pictures and autographs of bullfighters as well as taxidermies of bull heads. It was then that I thought “how cool! We are going to see a bullfight!” Little did I know, that I was about to be the entertainment for the day. Shortly thereafter, a loudspeaker announcer asked us to make our way into the Plaza de Toros; an area outside the main plaza. 

        I walked into the Plaza de Toros area and saw a small scale bull ring  with stadium seating on either side. I then overhear someone ask a friend of mine if he was going to “get in the ring”. All of the sudden a torito ("baby” bull that’s really NOT little) is released into the ring and my friend jumps over the wall into the ring from the stadium seating area. I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched my friend run across the ring with a torito charging after him.  

           If you haven't figured it out by now, a Capea is a traditional event where you eat a lot, drink a lot, and then try your luck in the bull ring with a young bull. The word  capea refers to the cape and the passes a bullfighter makes with the cape to tame the bull in a ring. What a tradition! After watching a few people nearly escape getting hit by the torito, I had an insane thought, “when will I ever have a chance to get in a bullring with a real bull ever again…. well hopefully never!”...and with that thought, I impulsively jumped into the ring myself.

     In Spain, bull fighting is a very traditional, almost sacred, historical and cultural event. In the end the bull is tragically killed but thankfully that is not the purpose of the Capea. Rather, it is a joyful tradition pitting man against beast for sheer entertainment. No animals are injured or harmed. Basically, in order to get into the ring, you climb over the side wall of the ring and stand behind a small wood partition that is open on each side. For some reason, this waiting area is never attacked by the bull. In fact, the bull stops short of hitting the waiting area or the side of the ring, making anywhere along the edge of the ring and behind the partition, safe zones. 

      As I was waiting for an opportune time to run out from behind the partition wall and into the ring with the bull, I thought, "This is nuts." My heart was racing rapidly in anticipation. What if I got hit? First off, no one had gotten hit yet so I would be so embarrassed as well as, most probably, in considerable pain? Oh God....Off I go before I lose my nerve. I walk out from behind the box and just start running ...it felt like, running literally for my life. When I made it to the next safe zone alive, I was so excited. The adrenaline rush gave me the energy to keep going. What a thrill it was to be just feet away from such a strong and majestic animal!  As the day went on...we ate the most delicious paella,  listened to music, we danced, we laughed and we enjoyed each other's company....and yes, we ran with more bulls. What an incredible, exciting and fun day!   I survived a totally awesome, unique experience. It may be hard to believe but I would do it again in a heartbeat! Could say more, but for now chao! 

    Below are some videos and photos from the Capea!