Reflections on sitting in the Plaza Grande

The Plaza Grande. In the grand scheme of the sprawling length of the city, this bustling center is nothing more than a speck. But in the hierarchy of places of importance, this has to rank number one. On one face stands the Palacio del Gobierno - the center of power of the entire country. In another face stands a grand cathedral, freshly painted to blend with the whiteness of the surrounding buildings. In a corner of the plaza is the entrance to the Centro Cultural Metropolitano, whose art exhibits and museums remind Ecuador of its cultural importance.

In a moment of down time I decided to sit myself down on one of the many benches that line the criss-crossing walkways of the plaza. To my back the powerful Palacio, to my side the cathedral. I had had the bench to myself until a portly, kind-looking, well-dressed old man decided to sit down next to me. Our intentions were the same - to take in the sights and the variety of people that traverse the plaza. Of course no one is ever a fly on the wall in such a place, as there are always others watching the watchers. I soon found myself the subject of unwanted attention; shoeshine boys made the rounds, obviously attracted by my somewhat dingy brown shoes. Professional tourist photographers beckoned for me to pose in front of the obelisk at the center. A political proselytizer (the guy in the picture) called out non-discernable propaganda to people who couldn't care less. And I'm sure the old man next to me was taking notes, too.
The benches seemed to be full that day. Other elderly men with heads bowed in slumber sat next to entire families with crawling, screaming children. Empty space on other benches was filled rather instantly. The old man and I were soon accompanied by another young man, immersed in his headphones. A sizeable crowd had gathered in one corner of the plaza as street performers attracted tourists and locals with their own brand of craziness. The whole plaza was teeming with life. As I watched people pass and interact, it suddenly came to me what a special place this was, and not just because it has awesome architecture. As an obligatory place to see on a visit to Ecuador or even for a local quiteño, this was the focal point - the crossroads of Quito, of Ecuador. And, in its own way, a crossroads of the world. Here tourists from all countries mingled with indigenous families and businessmen, and old men passed another morning on the same bench that they've sat on for years, perhaps sharing it with a young man from the United States who may not ever sit on that bench again.
The old man next to me suddenly raised his hand in the air, and soon another elderly man materialized from the cloud of people in front of us and walked towards us. I gave up my seat on the bench so he could sit next to his friend. I wandered around for a while in the great square, snapping photos and being touristy, before deciding to head home. And as I slipped out through a corner of the historical quadrangle, it was easy with so many people around to feel as if you were slipping out unnoticed. But I knew better, as the eyes of the plaza were many. For in a place where observers are always being observed, you become no more than a pointillistic stroke on the dynamic sociocultural canvas, just another splash of color on the four-dimensional portrait of worlds collided.