MONTEVIDEO, HERE I COME

Armed with 6 evening gowns, 21 cocktail dresses and an assortment of other fashionable outfits, 23-year-old Miss Atlantico SA, Michelle Gildenhuys, departed from Cape Town International at 13:50 today on her quest to capture the Miss Atlantico Internacional crown on Saturday 12 February.

Michelle is the first ever contestant from South Africa in the 25-year-history of this small, but prestigious pageant. She will be competing against 15 other contestants, mostly from South and Central America. Although the reigning Miss Atlantico Internacional is from Venezuela, their contestant for 2011 has withdrawn from the pageant for reasons unknown.

There was a slight hiccup when the traditional weapons that compliment her national costume were not allowed onto the flight, but the gorgeous leopard-print gown by Charlene Sauerman should be more than enough to impress the judges.