One of the famous spectacles a visitor to Bali should see is the buffalo ( mekepung ) races in Negara. For a mixture of sport and circus nothing beats this. Negara is located inland from the coast about a 3 hour drive west of Kuta. The mekepung races happen every year between September and November and the 2 competing teams of jockeys and buffalos come from either side of the Ijo Gading River. When I visited a year and a half ago I could not believe how many teams of buffalos there were lining up to race, literally hundreds, it seemed. The jockeys ride in a little cart behind the team, whipping their rear ends with a whip that has a nail in it. A friend told me that the drivers also rub chili powder on the animals rear just before take-off. That is what I call the afterburner effect. I remember seeing dinner plate sized patches of bloodied backside.
The pair of teams race around a track that is probably half a mile, kicking up clouds of dust and jostling for position. For some reason this is not a big tourist event, which makes its even more of an attraction to me. Check with your hotel exactly when the buffalo races are scheduled and enjoy a piece of Balinese culture.
{ 1 comment }
Wow, I’ve always wanted to see these races but have never had the chance…maybe I’ll plan my next trip to Bali so that I can see them, sounds incredible : D
Comments on this entry are closed.