Sitting on a sidewalk café under the portales (arcades), on a bench in the shade of the ficus trees or on the steps of the elegant music gazebo, take the time to observe all the activity at the Zócalo, its scores of balloon salesmen, shoe shiners and clowns. The old Plaza de Armas is lined to the south by the Palacio de Gobierno and to the north by the cathedral giving onto Alameda Square and its large trees.