Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

Less than a second. After the banderillero geared up, he charged against the 800-pound bull and pounced towards it with all the strength he could muster, all coming down to this flash of time. I held my breath in this moment of full tension; the few microseconds right before he plunged his banderillas and life or death was decided. Muscles were tensed, attacks were focused, and the slightest miscalculation could have been fatal. A moment later, the crowd of Spaniards roared as he ran away untouched. Even though I'm not particularly fond of bullfighting, the level of skill and bravado that these risk-takers assume on a regular basis amazed me. Capturing such unflinching concentration in the face of near obliteration, all ingrained in his savage stare, made it all well worth it.