Costalegre Chili Cookoff

Chili cookoffs in Mexico seem to be a very popular way of raising funds for the local communities.  The Costalegre Chili Cookoff was held in Barra de Navidad and was quite well attended. So much so that we gave up on trying to get any chili and took a walk around town.
I loved seeing these girls walking down the street, one with a tray balanced on her head, just chatting away.

We stopped at a seaside restaurant for a drink and saw some of the devastation from Hurricane Jova which hit Barra de Navidad particularly hard last fall. The patio and second floor of the restaurant we were at are completely gone. Much of the beach has been cleaned up, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

We got back to the chili cookoff just in time for the entertainment. Good to know that Elvis is alive and well here in Mexico.

We were then treated to traditional dances by the local children. It was obvious that they had performed before and were delightful to watch.
I just had to take a picture of these girls with their long braids. They reminded me of a painting that was done by Martin Gambee, the husband of Brian's Aunt Mary. His painting is of two Navajo girls who have braids just like these girls going down their backs.

Here are the girls in action..

Some of the other performers...