The Great Leveler
- Sand leveller Carlos Echevarria, Plaza de Acho, Lima; photo c. Jorge Vera 2008
Carlos Echevarria has been leveling the arena at Lima's Plaza de Acho bullring for 35 years. It is his job to cart in fresh sand, spread it over the 60-meter-wide arena and pack it into a firm, even surface.
Then a pair of workers uses a rope and spike to draw concentric circles inside the 360-degree arena, to mark where the bulls and matadors will fight. Echevarria watches to make sure that the circles are neat and round.
Built in 1766, the Plaza de Acho arena is the oldest bullring in the Americas, the second oldest in the world after La Maestranza, in Seville, Spain.
So many legendary bullfighters have made their mark on the sands of Acho.
So much blood has been spilled there -- gallons of it.
Echevarria knows this arena and its death-soaked history like the back of his calloused hands.
And after each
corrida, he stands by the heavy wooden gate and calls to his workers to brush the sands flat again.
Tags: Bullfighting·bullfighting in Lima
2 responses so far ↓
1 Peruanista // Nov 6, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Hi Barbara… how were the reactions of Americans in Peru to Obama’s historical victory? Here people are still celebrating!
2 Barb // Nov 6, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Carlos, I saw the celebrations on TV. What a great moment. I hope that Obama can be an effective leader and implement real changes.
There are many US expats in Peru who were rooting for Obama to win. A big crowd gathered at a place in Miraflores called The Corner Bar, where they watched the returns come in. I think the crowd was very happy there — or at least most of them.