|
Cockfight: My dad's neighbor, Rick, asked me if I wanted to see a cockfight. He said he'd take me there and keep an eye on me because it was in a shady part of town. We rode most of the way there in his Jeep, but we parked in a different neighborhood and hired trikes so we wouldn't attract too much attention. We got there in time to watch things get underway. The cockfights began with the village "mayor" pairing off the birds that would fight, the owners would attach a blade on the cocks leg, people would place their bets, and then first pair would be held up to start pecking each other and dropped to start the fight. The crowd would push to keep a circle open around the fighting birds, people would fall and get trampled on as the birds changed directions, the fights sometimes ended blocks from where they started.
|
|
I was glad I had Rick there to watch my back because it was hard enough to keep ahead of all the shoving people and concentrate on shooting the action without having to watch for anyone trying to make a grab for my camera. Usually people would move when the birds came at them so that there was always a hole in the crowd, but I always stood still and let the birds bounce off my legs, it made it easier to get close-up shots. After about ten fights Rick pointed at my legs, I looked and was surprised to see that my right leg had a big gash in it. I had been so caught up in the action I didn't notice the pain, and I quickly realized why everybody had moved out of the birds way. When two animals with three inch scalpel sharp blades are fighting for their lives, its probably not a good idea to let them run into you, especially with most of the population wearing sandals. It was a lesson I didn't want to learn twice. Some of the blood on the ground in the cockfight pictures is probably mine. Sweet.
|
|
