Plaza de Armas

Around 4pm, I went to the Plaza de Armas to observe the people of this popular and congested plaza. While there, I observed two men, presumably businessmen, having a conversation. They stood about half a meter apart and used their hands while talking, but not in an exaggerated way. I also noticed many people (not tourists) in the plaza were there by themselves. There were many men sitting on the plaza benches by themselves while the women were more often walking across the plaza by themselves. I also noticed many women with their small children tied to their backs in traditional Peruvian blankets. A man on a phone call sat down next to me- he sounded agitated with the person he was talking to, it seemed that there was an issue with the scheduling of something. I noticed that although there appeared to be a problem, the man did not talk in a forceful or sharp way; he was meek but persistent. While sitting there, I noticed a woman walk by me holding a mate cup and a thermos; these items are a telltale sign that you are in the presence of an Argentinean. I approached the woman and sure enough, she was from Cordoba, Argentina. We had a pleasant conversation and then she continued on with the rest of her group. While sitting in the Plaza de Armas, I observed many tourists, many locals trying to sell me masajes, and many, many dogs without leashes. I smiled to myself as I remember my neighborhood rules regarding pets; all animals must be on a leash at all times, if not, you are sure to receive dirty looks from other neighbors and possibly even a community fine. Overall, I found it rather curious why there were more men sitting alone and more women crossing the plaza alone. I couldn’t understand why so many local men would want to sit at benches in such a touristy area.