The Eye of the Beholder

13 diciembre 2009

Today in the Sunday paper, El Pueblo, there is an article about the Plaza de Armas de Arequipa being voted the second most beautiful central square in Latin America. (The first being La Plaza Monumental Virgen Chinita in Maracaribo, Venezuela.)

The article is based on internet comments from a video of unknown origin---there were only 194 comments. It would be interesting to know the source of the video. The third most beautiful was El Zócalo in Mexico City---which I would rate over the Plaza de Armas given the majesty of the Cathedral and the murals painted by Diego Rivera within the courtyard of the National Palace.

Yet, the fortitude of the Arequipeños to maintain the plaza is impressive. The daily upkeep of cleaning up litter, watering the flowers and grass, and the washing of the fountain and plaza stone, from pigeon deposits, is one thing. But, serious earthquakes have hit the city in 1600, 1687, 1868, 1958, 1960, and 2001. The latest quake toppled one of the tall bell towers and severely damaged the other—they were rebuilt the following year.

The plaza is a favorite spot for Arequipeños to take their children to feed the pigeons. They buy small bags of seed from a vendor for 50 centimos, then the fun begins. First the kids, some toddlers, need to figure out how to open the bag without spilling the entire contents onto the ground, then come up with a strategy of feeding the birds: holding seed in their hands; dumping some onto the ground; throwing it up into the air; and variations thereof. Of course, you have those you try to catch the birds---a few are successful at this. Then there are those, mostly boys, who spend their time chasing them around the plaza. Anyway, quite amusing.

In the center of the plaza is the fountain topped by a statue of a 16^th century Spanish soldier blowing a horn---perhaps, to round up the troops before assaulting the locals. I find it a bit strange. It always amazes me how there are all the triumphant symbols of conquest in town squares, crossroads, above religious and government doorways, while the descendents of the conquered still live their poor workaday lives below.

(The photo of the bell tower in repair was taken from a magazine we found from 2001, when the quake hit. And the name of the guy atop the fountain in the Plaza is Tuturutu.)