Tourist Week

Yesterday, along with our friend Blue, we went to the criolla in the Department (equivalent to a county in the U.S.) of Canelones. Criollas are part of the celebrations during Tourist Week here in Uruguay. There is one in the Department of Montevideo and another in Canelones. Together, they draw around 3 million guests from the Uruguayan countryside and other Latin American countries. Three million—that’s equal to the country’s total population.

A criolla is similar to a county fair. There are rows and rows of vendors selling handcrafted goods, phone cases, clothing, and much more. You know the goods; items you buy there thinking it’s just what you need, only to throw them out a year later when you need space in your junk drawer. There’s every type of food you can imagine. We tried a scoop of sabayón, a Uruguayan ice cream with a thick, custard-like flavor, often mixed with fruit or chocolate. Yummy! It was no Blue Bell ice cream, but it was really good. Music threads its way through the tapestry of the criolla. Small groups play throughout the day at various venues. Then, starting at 19:00, the main concerts begin. There are three to four headliners who perform on the big stage in the arena. The last one starts at 23:00. Nope, I was going to miss that one, way past my bedtime.

There is also a band that plays during the rodeo. Yep, a rodeo. We took some time away from walking around to see what a Latin American rodeo looks like. We sat in the horseshoe, which may not have been the best seats for viewing the show, but it was where all the gauchos gathered as they waited to ride. Let’s start with the attire of the gauchos. It is very different from cowboys back home. Their boots, pants, belts, and hats all stood out as distinct—a reflection of Latin American culture. Men from Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay were there to compete.

The competition was in the style of bucking broncos. However, that’s where the similarities ended. No pens are used to keep the animal still for the rider to get on. A horse is brought up and tied to a large post, then a hood is placed over its eyes. Once the horse is secured and put into place by four men, the rider gets on. A signal is given to the judges, and a bell is rung three times. The horse is released, and at the same moment, the rider whips it to make it buck. The challenge is to stay on for a set amount of time. When that time is up, another series of bells is rung. Two riders then approach to help the competitor off the horse. As you can imagine, some made it to the second set of the second set of bells, but many did not.

Twenty-four hours later, I still cannot stop thinking about one of the riders. He was thrown from his horse shortly after the animal was released and landed face down. He did not get up. Arena staff rushed to check on him, and an ambulance was called. He was placed on a backboard and taken to the nearest hospital. Shortly after he left, the announcer stated that the rider had broken his back and suffered a severe head injury. By the way, privacy is not as safeguarded as it is in the States. I hope he is doing well and the outcome is not as grim as I think it is.

We talked after leaving the arena and found ourselves saying the same thing. The event we watched has roots deeply embedded in South American culture, and we can respect that. At the same time, we struggled with what we saw—particularly how the horses were treated. Given my love of animals, it was hard to watch. I’m not sure I would go back to a rodeo. I can say I’ve experienced it, but I don’t need to see it again. I’ll stay outside the arena and watch the gauchos walking around the park.

Another Uruguayan experience for us to share.

Check out the photo gallery for more pictures from the Criolla.

Thank you for sticking with me. As always, be kind to yourself and be kind to one another.