Forget The Bulls – Spain’s Big Draw Is The Donkey Drop

Only successful Benidorm could hundreds of group gather, tickets successful hand, waiting for nan astir anticipated bowel activity of nan year. On Saturday September 6, nan Ermita de Sanz erstwhile again hosted nan celebrated Cagà de la Burra (yes, it’s precisely what you deliberation it is, donkey drop), now successful its 4th consecutive edition. The arena is organised by nan Comissió de Sant Antoni to raise costs for nan January festivities, proving that erstwhile it comes to charity, thing goes – moreover donkey droppings.

The mechanics are elemental yet strangely compelling: a crippled of onshore is divided into 500 numbered squares. Locals bargain tickets, transverse their fingers, and then… wait. The winning quadrate is nan 1 wherever nan donkey, successful each its glory, chooses to make its “deposit”. For added precision, organisers person clarified that, if required, a group of scales whitethorn beryllium utilized to measurement nan output. Now that’s what you telephone attraction to detail.

But it wasn’t each suspense and manure. From 10 successful nan morning, neighbours enjoyed bargain-priced drinks, tasty snacks, nan accepted bollos a la paleta, and a afloat time of euphony and laughter. This twelvemonth moreover featured a caller “esmorzaret” – a Valencian-style brunch pinch sandwiches, salad, java and shots for €12 – and a hearty paella to support spirits precocious while waiting for quality to return its course.

As president Irene Maris and her Benidorm’s team reminded everyone: nan existent victor is nan community, though admittedly nan personification holding nan summons for nan donkey’s favourite quadrate mightiness disagree.