While we visited the Philippines we had a great opportunity to go to the cock fights. I was not old enough to get in but we told them we were not going to gamble and we got permisssion to go in to watch. The owner of the cock fighting ring took us into the air conditioned ring side special guests area. He gave us drinks and let mum take close photographs of some of the fights.
To start a fight, two cocks are held up by their owners and are allowed to peck at each other to get the cocks fired up. While this is happening everyone places their bets and starts throwing money into the ring. The cocks are then placed down ready to fight. They fight till the death, they have a poisonous blade on their heel. Some fights lasted as long as ten minutes.
One of the best fights was when a chicken was fighting against a cock and she instantly stabbed him in the chest with her blade. She also was stabbed and both the cock and her died but she won.
This was one of my favourite experiences in the Philippines.
