Description: The ancient sport of cockfighting is alive and well in Puerto Rico. For the adventurous, you can easily investigate this activity for yourself. Just head for Club Gallistico de Puerto Rico, one of Puerto Rico's premiere cockfighting arenas. It's a slice of culture you certainly won't get elsewhere.
Gallo is Spanish for rooster and the ring they fight in is the gallistico. Club Gallistico is the only one in San Juan, to my knowledge. Typically a rural sport, you may notice that much of the clientele appears to be in from the country. Judging by the vehicles out front, however, either farming pays well or there is money in fighting roosters. In either case, these gentlemen were not complete yokels.
You can reach Club Gallistico from Old San Juan for 25 cents each direction. The A5 bus will take you from the main bus terminal right to the arena. Expect a 30-45 minute ride, but you can't beat the price. At sixteen dollars, a cab wouldn't be much faster. On Saturdays the fights go from 2-10 PM, but the A5 makes it's last run at 7 o'clock. The club is on Isla Verde Avenue, at the corner of Los Gobernadores Avenue. On the bus, just watch for the Hampton Inn. Club Gallistico is practically next door.
As a tourist, you pay $5 and receive a special sticker. They allow you to sit anywhere you please with this sticker. In reality, however, you probably won't squeeze into the first few rows. These are filled with the hard core types; mostly high rollers, bird owners and various "insiders".
Admittedly, this can be a brutal sport, so the action outside the ring may possibly draw your attention from the gamecocks. The betting is highly animated and serious. You simply yell out your wager until you get a taker. All bets are on the honor system. If you're unfamiliar with the protocol, you'll likely not manage to bet.
In each bout, you have two roosters that are presumably fighting to the death. In reality, one of them doesn't necessarily die, but I digress. One has a black band around his legs and one doesn't. This differentiates between them, much like identifying boxers by the color of their trunks. At the beginning of each bout, gamblers verbally haggle over the odds. Once that is established, the bets are yelled out. The betting tends toward the high side. As often as not, I saw wads of hundred dollar bills passed about. If you're not intimidated and want to risk some cash, just ask for assistance. Guides and translators are available upon request.
Aside from the fights, you can watch the birds being prepared for their matches. There is also a modest souvenir stand. The beer is relatively cheap, but the eats seemed to be limited. The facility is entirely smoke free, quite clean and well kept. So, if you're game for adventure, nothing about Club Gallistico itself should deter your curiosity.
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