Last Friday we had the fortune to attend the election of the Reina Flor del Cafe 2009 in San Antonio. It was really wonderful to see how the concept of a pageant was adapted to an indigenous community, with an emphasis on the preservation of their culture and traditions. The 7 contestants had to wear a variety of traditional dresses, explain their origin and symbols, dance typical dances, speak the native dialect Kaqchiquel, and deliver a short speech on a topic of their choice.

The candidate in the video is the winner, for whom we were all rooting after her speech, which we found so moving & educational. Enjoy!