Every Monday is the changing of the guards at the Presidential Palace. Independence plaza was closed off to pedestrian traffic. We were not certain if this is typical because there was also a large protests against the current president occurring at the same day. There were protests daily but this one was significantly larger than the rest. The ceremony itself took about thirty-five minutes and included a procession of guards entering and exciting, the singing of the national anthem and a dance performance.
We arranged for a tour of the Presidential Palace (free with advance reservation) for an afternoon. Despite being in Spanish, we understood some of the content because of previous tours and the guide’s very abbreviated version in English. (There are English tours but not on the day we could get a reservation.) The president was home and in meetings, so we were not allowed into the personal spaces.
While walking to the Presidential Palace, we wondered into the Quito Art School and an English bookstore. While in the bookstore, we learned that Haruki Murakami was speaking at 7pm that day! Although advance (free) tickets were sold out, the website suggested we arrive early and put our name on a waitlist—so we did. The opening remarks and questions were in Spanish but Murakami answered in English. A great night!
