Another day in the park

We're in La Plaza 24 de Septiembre, the city's main square. Sonya's reading Atlantic Monthly. I'm reading the beauty pageant section of El Deber. More than soccer, more than the presidential campaign, more than the department of Santa Cruz's upcoming bid for autonomy, the newspapers have been covering the heated contest for the title of Miss Bolivia. The winner will compete in Miss Universe and Miss World and become a perennial celebrity here -- the society pages yesterday noted the birthday of Miss Santa Cruz 1978.
So as I'm reading the bios of the 18 contestants, I hear a bit of a stir in the otherwise quiet park. Looking up, I see five of them passing by. Que casualidad, no?!?
It wasn't long before a small crowd formed. Some passersby posed with the contestants. Others gawked and whistled. Most just gawked.
All local biases aside, my favorite is Miss Santa Cruz (top right, click to enlarge). There's something very down-to-earth about her. Look at that smile!