Buenache De Alarcon, Cuenca


this is just so thrilling, after a week in Valencia, im ready to get into more action with the locals, so i followed Edu and Fabi back to the village to see more of the local traditions and to experience the authentic spanish lifestyle...

When i mentioned village, i really did mean it...this is a community of 700 people where everyone knows each other and they dont mind just their own business...it so happen that the village is having a week-long festival where people dance and drink whole day and get involved in a whole range of local activities...

being the only foreigner there, everyone is trying their best to showcase their spanish hospitality, i feel so welcome amidst the local and really enjoy getting all the fuss from them.

Edu´s mom is an excellent cook, there was so much food that i was spoilt for choice, and everyone is trying to get me to try everything and make an effort to stuff me with as much food as possible. The wine that was offered is first-rated, the grapes come from Edu´s vineyard and is the very best, aint i the luckiest freak on earth?

When night falls, we went to join the dancing marathon at the local community hall, i let myself be taught some spanish traditional dance routine by some ladies who just couldnt lay their hands off me...haha...no, seriously...

we later went star gazing at the moor, staring into the millions of shining starlets, allowed our thoughts be wandering across the endless field of wheats and sunflowers, at a chilly temperature of 10 degrees...it was very relaxing...

apparently when the people get into the action of partying, they dont believe in taking a break, it really is a marathon, and the event is a whole night/morning affair, where people just keep going, songs after songs, drinks after drinks, the stamina they have is astounding, considering some of the folks are way past their prime...

at 5 in the morning, the major event kickstarted - Bullfighting. Ppl of all ages gathered at the arena and cheered upon the courageous bullfighters...and no, u dont need to be trained to be one, anyone can just step into the rink as and when they feel like it, and trust me, you really need to be very drunk to do that...

I was encouraged and challenged to perform the act by Jose, edu´s brother, but his mom wont hear of it. It is like nothing you see on television, when you are upclose and personal to the raging bulls. The moment it charges so near the bullfighters, bellowing for all it´s worth, it just send a chill to you, giving you the cringe, the flinch, the gasp, and everything all at once.

we will witness the act again this afternoon, and hopefully by then i will have garnered the courage to actually step into the rink...

Im falling in love with the craziness of the people here...


p/s: i still dont encourage animal cruelty, but they dont actually kill the bulls here, just waving some pink and yellow cloth before it and taunting it...it´s not right, but it´s Spain...