Bali NASCAR

The buffalo wore ornate headdresses, gold in color. They stood restless as their handlers wrapped their horns in colorful cloth, adorning the quite beasts with the intricacies normally reserved for weddings and funerals. They stood in pairs side by side. A small cart painted bright yellow, green, and orange was in tow.

As the announcer began shouting unknowns over the P.A system, they took off running. The driver in the cart smacked the shit out of the buffalos as these enormous creatures used for plowing and towing burst out into unimaginable speeds. The ground rumbled as they sped by us spectators. This was the great Mupati Cup Buffalo Race of 2011 in Negara Bali.

We ran across this NASCAR race of the island by chance and it was easily one of the highlights of Bali. They raced for hours in heats of three on a dirt road carved through the rice paddies. Their flags waved in the wind as the crowd watched intently cheering for the favored contestants.

Thanks for the treat Bali!