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We ’ d been welcomed to the girls fifteenth birthday , a special occasion for the girls of Latin America , and more so in Colombia . Quinceañera , a festival of fifteen years , is said to be when a girl transitions from childhood to womanhood . In the past it was when the girl , who had been trained in the ways of the household would be presented to potential suitors by her father , today it is regarded as the equivalent of Western debutante balls where just one person is the centre of attention .
It was an experience like nothing I ’ d been a part of before , we were welcomed and encouraged to be part of the celebrations , yet it all felt out of place amongst the historic streets and lanes of Honda , a world that housed colourful streets facades , fish markets , and colonial mansions .
A similar scene played out a week or so later when we ’ d ridden Villa de Leyva , a heritage town with one of the largest plazas in Colombia .
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