Day 114, 4 October 2014 - Night time! Plaza de Toros / The Bull Ring, Fuengirola. Feast or famine really - haven't had cause for two blogs in one day for quite a while. Andalucia in Southern Spain is known for many things - seafood, sherry and it's dancing white horses. James and I even went and saw the horses in Jerez a couple of years back. Not having done much riding at that stage, I admit to expecting more... ballet? flaming hoops? tutus? Who knows. But I have ridden a bit since and now know that horses trotting in time to music, being able to "reverse" and doing all this in tandem with other horses is as close to magic as we'll see in this lifetime. All that being said, once I'd figured out what the poster said and looked up "eganches" (carriages), I was still umming and ahhing about whether I wanted to go and sit in the bull-ring and watch some sort of display. How good could it be? So I thought I'd stroll down at 5 pm (starting time) and have a look-see. AWESOME!!! The carriages and horses were mustered in the street outside (so that's why the policia had the street barricaded this morning). Had the chance to get right up close and see their intricate head decorations, bells etc, took photos and then thought, by about 5.15 pm... hang on...Why are they still out here? Ohhhh.... 5 pm start is "Spanish time" (closely related to "Island Time". It is very hard to run late for anything here). There was a queue for tickets so I thought, well, €3 - if I'm bored I can just leave. Far from it as it turns out - 2 hours later at the Finale I was still fascinated. Note that despite the picture, the bull ring was actually half full - we were all in the shady half on the other side. Lots of rousing music and the first competitor was a single pony and buggy. Each competitor has to do certain tasks - figure eights, a complete reversal and move forward etc. Presentation counts a huge amount - some of these horses had better manicures than I do. Next out is 2 horses, etc 3, 4, 5, then finally a carriage and 6. When you've seen six horses reverse a carraige you've seen everything. The Finale is when every competitor returns to the arena at the end and they're all moving at once in concentric circles (today's photo). So glad I went - it even continued "after" the show. By the time everyone left the arena the horses and carriages were doing a final drive by of the bull ring and heading off down the road. As did I... in my case to a solo celebratory dinner at a restaurant on the beach. James and I both had a bit of a celebration this weekend to mark the 2 months till he leaves Sydney point. It was lovely and cool in the breeze and the sun finally set up behind the mountains and the sky turned pink. The smell of woodsmoke is everywhere from the spit-grills where sardines and prawns meet their fates. I also discovered that when you are in foreign lands there is really no need to order something "different". It's perfectly safe to order something you think you know (in this case whitebait with egg) and then be completely surprised when enough whitebait to feed 10 New Zealand families arrives on the plate. I must admit I couldn't eat it all. Shame. Embarrassment. Surprised the embassy hasn't taken my kiwi passport. On a separate and funny note (and no, I haven't said this, I just read about it). Never, ever say Soy embarazada in Spanish if you are embarrassed - good guess, but no cigarillo... Unless you are in fact pregnant!