Teresa the Traveler
Follow Teresa the traveler...
  • Home
    • Blog
    • Tips for Travelling on a Budget
    • Fan Mail
  • Central America
    • Nicaragua >
      • Corn Islands in Nicaragua
      • Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua
    • Costa Rica >
      • Volcanic Mud Bath in Costa Rica
      • Costa Rica Eco-Adventure
  • North America
    • Canada >
      • North Pacific Cannery
      • Terrace Lava Beds
      • Center of the Universe at Vidette Lake
      • Gold Panning at Barkerville
      • Salmon Glacier
      • Niagra Falls
      • CN Tower
      • Calgary Stampede
    • United States >
      • Florida Everglades
      • Florida Keys
      • Disney World
      • Orlando Sea World
      • Kennedy Space Center
      • Grand Canyon
      • Hoover Dam
      • Las Vegas >
        • Vegas Pool Party
      • Hawaiian Island of Oahu >
        • Polynesian Cultural Center
        • Hanauma Bay
        • Pearl Harbour
        • Shark Cage Diving
        • Submarine Ride
        • Dole Plantation
      • Hawaiian Island of Maui >
        • Haleakalā Crater
        • Piiholo Ranch Ziplining
        • Turtle Town
      • Johnson Space Center
      • Disneyland
    • Mexico >
      • Cabo San Lucus
  • South America
    • Argentina >
      • Repel down a Waterfall
      • Boat Ride to Iguazu Falls
      • Evita Museum
      • Learn to Tango
      • Salinas Grandes Salt Flats
    • Bolivia >
      • Eduardo Avaroa National Park
      • Salar de Uyuni
      • La Paz Witch Market
    • Colombia >
      • Plaza de Toros Santamaria
      • Zipaquira Salt Cathedral
      • Guinea Pig Gambling
      • Mount Monserrate
    • Peru >
      • Climb Machu Picchu
      • Fly Over the Nasca Lines
      • Sand Dune Boarding in Huacachina
      • Mountain Biking down Chachani Volcano
      • Visit the Catacombs in Lima
      • Moray
      • Inca Salt Pans
  • Europe
    • England >
      • Big Ben and the Parliament
      • Buckingham Palace
      • Hyde Park
      • St. Margaret’s Cathedral
      • London Eye
      • London Dungeon
      • Tower of London
      • Tower Bridge
      • London Museums
      • Trafalgar Square
      • Stonehenge
      • Bath
    • France >
      • Eiffel Tower
      • Louvre Museum
      • Notre Dame Cathedral
      • Arc De Triomphe
      • Moulin Rouge
      • Sacre-Coeur Cathedral
      • Palace of the Popes
      • Les Pont St-Benezet
      • Les Grottes de Thouzon
      • Roman Aqueducts
      • Fontaine De Vaucluse
      • Antique Theatre in Orange
      • Monaco
      • Cannes Film Festival
      • Fort Royal State Prison
    • Germany >
      • The Reichstag
      • Brandenburg Gate
      • Jewish Memorial
      • Checkpoint Charlie/Berlin Wall
      • Museum Island
    • Greece >
      • Acropolis
      • Santorini
    • Hungary >
      • Vajdahunyad Castle
      • Buda Castle
      • Hero’s Square
      • Fisherman Bastion
    • Italy >
      • Venice
      • Sienna
      • Florence
      • Pisa
      • Pompeii
      • Trevi Fountain
      • Roman Forum
      • Pantheon
      • Vatican City
      • Roman Colosium
    • Poland >
      • Wieliczka Salt Mine (The Old Salt Mine)
      • Cracow's Main Market Square
      • Kazimierz: Cracow's Jewish Quarter
      • Wawel Hill
      • Schindler's Cracow Factory
      • Auschwitz and Birkenau
    • Romania >
      • Bran's Castle
      • Rasnov Fortress
      • Poenari - The Real Dracula's Castle
      • House of the People
      • Peleş Castle
    • Spain >
      • Party all Night in Ibiza
      • Sagrada Familia
      • Island of Formentera
      • Giants Parade
      • Watch the Castellers
  • Middle East
    • Egypt >
      • Giza Pyramids
      • Khan el-Khalili
      • Saqqara
      • Felucca Boat
      • Philae Temple
      • Magic Spring
      • Western Desert
      • Unfinished Obelisk
      • Abu Simbel
      • Cairo
      • Alexandria
      • Valley of the Kings
      • Hapshepsut Temple
      • Karnak Temple
    • Israel >
      • Oskar Schindler's Grave
      • Jaffa
      • 14 Stations of the Cross
      • The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
      • Western Wall
      • Manger Square
      • Dead Sea Scrolls
    • Jordan >
      • Dead Sea
      • Monestary in Petra
      • Wadi Rum
      • Bethany Beyond the Jordan
      • Ma'in Hot Spa
      • Mount Nebo
    • Lebanon >
      • Star Square
      • Pigeon Rock
    • Syria >
      • Citadel of Aleppo
      • Ummaayad Mosque of Aleppo
      • Grand Mosque of Damascus
      • Damascus Old City
      • Latakia
    • Turkey >
      • Shop at the Grand Baazar
      • Spice Market
      • Harem at Topkapi Palace
      • Blue Mosque
      • Ephesus
      • House of the Virgin Mary
      • Pamukkale
      • Love Valley
      • Derinkuyu Underground City
      • Selime Monastery
      • Ihlara Valley
      • Goreme Open Air Museum
      • Cappadocia Balloon Ride
      • Take a Turkish Bath
    • UAE >
      • Burj Dubai
      • Wild Wadi Water Park
      • Indoor Ski Hill
      • Al Arab Seven Star Hotel
      • Palm Islands
  • Caribbean
    • Dominican Republic >
      • Hoya Azul
      • Dune Buggy Tour
  • AFRICA
    • Tanzania >
      • Go on an African Safari
      • Explore Zanzibar
    • Kenya >
      • Visit an Elephant Orphanage
      • Kiss a Giraffe
      • Visit Nairobi National Park
    • Zimbabwe >
      • Walk with Lions
      • Explore Victoria Falls
  • Contact

Visit the Plaza de Toros Santamaria Bullfighting Stadium

While visiting Bogota, you may want to check out the cities bull fighting stadium.
Excerpt from the book Soul Searching in South America from the Teresa the Traveler Series

What kind of Bull is this?

From the viewpoint I spotted the stadium where Bogotá’s bullfights take place and, in a combination of Pictionary and Charades, managed to ask my Spanish speaking guide to take me there. Located in the Macarena district, the Plaza de Toros Santamaria was opened to the public in February 1931 and has since hosted many of the world’s top bullfighters.  Its short season runs from mid January to the end of February.
    A traditional spectacle in such countries as Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador and in Central America, this blood sport is considered a fine art by its followers.  The largest bullfighting venue (seating 48,000 spectators) is the Plaza de toros Mexico in Mexico City while the oldest is the La Maestranza in Sevilla Spain which hosted its first bull fight in 1765.
    In Spanish style bullfighting, the style that takes place in Colombia, three matadors, with the assistance of two picadors, three banderilleros and a mozo de espadas, each fight two bulls. Accompanied by band music, participants parade into the stadium, wearing 18th century inspired Andalusian clothing, and salute the presiding dignitary. The highly ritualized event takes place in three stages called tercious the start of which is announced by a bugle call.  
 
The Lancing – During the first stage, the bull enters the ring and the matador performs a series of passes using a magenta and gold cape in order to observe the bulls behaviour and ferocity.  Next a picador on horseback enters the arena and stabs the bull in the neck.  The horse is covered with a padding to protect it from the bull’s horns, however prior to 1930 this was not the case and the horse was usually disembowelled at this stage.

The Third of Banderillas
– During the second stage, the three banderillas each attempt to insert two sharp barbed sticks or banderillas into the bull’s shoulders.  This act angers and invigorates the bull and further weakens it.  

The Third of Death
– During the third stage the matador enters the ring alone with a small red cape and a sword.  Contrary to popular belief, the color red does not anger the colorblind bulls. Using the cape to attract the bull in a series of passes, the matador both wears the bull out and performs for the crowd.  In order to demonstrate his domination over the beast he may hold the cape especially close to his body.  During the final kill, the matador attempts to manoeuvre the bull into a
position where he can stab it between the shoulder blades and through the heart in an act called an estocada.
    If the matador has performed exceptionally well the crowd will wave white handkerchiefs petitioning the president to award him an ear of the bull. In the rare occasion that the crowd and matador believe the bull has put on a brave fight, they may even petition to spare his life and return to the ranch to live out his life as a stud bull.
    The stadium was closed when we arrived but the caretakers were kind enough to let us in to view it.   Workers were cleaning up the sandy ring in the center where small pools of blood were all that remained of the last bull to meet its makers for the entertainment of the blood thirsty crowd.

I don’t know that I could handle seeing an actual bullfight.  It seems like such a cruel way to kill an animal.  In fact, a number of animal rights activists claim the bull suffers a slow and tortuous death and have called for an end to the spectacle.  In 1899 Argentina banned bullfighting and in 1912 it was abolished by Uruguay but despite anti-bullfighting demonstrations throughout the world the tradition continues in many countries to this day.



For tips on visiting Columbia CLICK HERE
For tips on visiting South America CLICK HERE
For general travel tips on what to pack and how to plan ahead
CLICK HERE
For tips on travelling on a budget CLICK HERE
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture


Picture
Where I Stayed...
Hotel Ambala

Cra. 5 No. 13- 46
Bogota, Columbia
Tel: 342 6384 – 341 2376
 www.hotelambala.com 


How to Get There - Fly to the international airport in Bogota
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.