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Villa de Leyva is a living museum of Colombian colonial heritage . Cited in a region relatively devoid of natural resources and amongst a high altitude semi-arid plain has meant that the township has remained more or less untouched for over four hundred years , created a charm that sees the town short listed to be added to UNESCO ’ s World Heritage Sites .
Walking across the cobbled Plaza Mayor , the large square , is another
experience into the past . The fourteen thousand square metre expanse is surrounded by cathedral ’ s , cantina , and stores providing the essentials for day-to-day living . The side streets all funnelling into the plaza are a world each unto themselves , an experience of the living past , a chance for a local drink and a Nicaraguan cigar that presented far too many recollections of Seinfeld quotes .
In the plaza the sun had slipped behind the nearby Andean peaks veiling the surrounds in darkness , the atmosphere had changed none more so than when José spotted a familiar sight , a Mariachi band performing Mexican classics . An opportunity not to let slide by .
As José belted out the tunes , I was dragged into an embrace and what could only be described as a bucket of gin & tonic thrust into
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