A Spanish Tradition


   In an effort to provide our first group of summer volunteers with cultural experiences and a more complete picture of Ecuador, this past weekend several of our volunteers had the chance to witness a bullfight, a tradition that has been preserved, with some changes, from Ecuador’s days as a Spanish colony. 
Matadores and picadores don costumes reminiscent of colonial Spain

 We were much happier to be watching than participating

   The Andean region of Ecuador is in fact the home of some of the most highly sought-after bulls exported for bullfights in Spain and elsewhere.  However, the bullfight we witnessed took place in a humble location near our home in Sangolquí, and featured both locally raised bulls and bullfighters (matadores).  

One of our vols, Joanna, taking in the scene.