Terra Char Bull Run

 Monday June 6th turned out to be a religious holiday on the island so, just like Sunday, many restaurants and most stores were closed. So, with little else to do we set off to explore the extinct volcanic outcrop known as Brazil which is located at the south side of the island. Offering a large expanse of dense forest with several walking trails and overlooks, it also featured the largest fortress on the island, the Castle of S. Philipe. Built by the Spanish in the 1590’s and featuring almost 5km of ramparts it is currently used as a base by the Portuguese military with much of it being off limits to the public. We covered several but certainly not all of the walking trails where we were able to see a small family of deer.

In the evening we hired a taxi to take us to the adjacent town of Terra Char, some 5km away.

 Arriving at the Main Street just before 6:15 we found the Main Street had been prepared for action. The local citizens were, for the most part securely located behind or on top of garden walls or wooden enclosures, the front doors of their houses shielded by sheets of plywood. 

 In the middle of the street 4 large red crates about the size of a small cube van enclosed the bulls. After walking for about 1/4 km we found a family that allowed us to enter their courtyard to await the evening’s main event. 

 At the sound of a large firework explosion, the first bull was released, teathered to a long blue rope held by 4 young men in white shirts and Monteras ( black hat with wide brim). Ahead of the bull the local youth ran just far enough ahead to avoid injury. The bull, somewhat smaller than the Spanish type, ran after them swinging it’s neck in an attempt to inflict damage, although the horns were capped in blunt brass tips to reduce severe injury. Occasionally, braver locals armed with colourful umbrellas would taunt the bull causing it to twist and turn in circles as they ran around the street. This display continued for about 10 minutes or so before the fatigued bull was returned to its enclosure and the next bull prepared for the same experience. After watching two of the four spectacles we gave our thanks to the owner of our “sanctuary” and walked to a neighbouring bar where the owner called us a taxi for our trip back to Angra. We had dinner at Tasca das Tias, ( literally Tavern of Aunts) one of the few restaurants open for dinner. Busy with locals and tourists it offered a menu heavy on beef with a few seafood offerings. I enjoyed my first and probably only beef dinner of the trip while Susanna continued her steady seafood diet with shrimp pasta. We shared a sizeable portion of “flan” (caramel custard” before returning to the hotel, tired but contented