El Novillo - The post where I talk about running away from a bull. With his horns on fire.

This post has a VIDEO on the bottom!!!! - ok, it's not working. But I'm working on it.

I had heard about the Novillo in Mira from my family from nearly the beginning. It’s a young bull, whose horns they light on fire and then let him run around the stadium with long ropes as drunk men tempt him to chase them. After hearning that, I knew that I wanted to go and possibly run. Duh. But after the Caminata, I wasn’t so sure. When I got up, it was all I could do to limp down to the park where Grace and her friends were. We hung out there for a bit and as the day progressed I started to feel better. I even made it out see some of the Torros, the regular young bulls that the drunk towns people teased in the stadium to chase them.

Novillo Time:

When it was time for the Novillo, all the town gathered in the big stadium area. There were GIANT bonfires, a stage with scantily clad women to sing Cumbia later, the passing of Tardon (strong aguardiente with some naranjilla), and excitement. I went with one of Grace's friends to look into the truck that was holding the Novillo before they lit his horns on fire. I climbed over to see in and he was an angry bull. But he had short horns. Not good, as we would later find out.

Before the pyros came.

I was right there when they took the bull out and when they put a sack over his face, tied him down and lit his horns on fire. It took a while. He's got spirit that bull. I like to call him Charry. Like Charlander from Pokemon. Throwback! Anyways, when he was all lit up, they let him go! I was standing to the side at first with one of Grace's friends. (She would only let me run if I held onto one of her friend's hands the whole time - yeah, they think of me as a baby). And then as he ran away, we would get closer. But always, there were a good amount of people between me and Charry. I have a strategy. And it is this - let other people be my shield. Of course, brave as I am, I would run after him when he ran away. But as soon as he turned around in my direction, you better believe I booked it. You'll see from the video, I never let him get too close to me. A good strategy! Eventually, he stopped chasing people. A lot of people said that it was because his horns were too short and the fire was burning his head. He even sat down once. Poor Charry! So, what's a high-spirited, drunk Ecuadorian man to do? Of course, whistle at Charry, hit him, and do whatever you can to have him go after you. And that's what they did. But Charry had a good laugh at them, because he got some of them. YEAH CHARRY!

Lighting Charry's horns on fire.

After the Novillo, they put Charry's horns out. And then the Cumbia began and the dancing dancing dancing. Not too shabby for a girl who could barely walk that afternoon.

Oh, and guess who was there at the Novillo, presiding. La Virgen. Duh!