Just north of the Mercado Sur is the Olmedo monument honoring José Joaquín de Olmedo (1780-1847) an Ecuadorian poet and the president of the first Ecuadorian territory independent of Spanish rule. Just to the north, outside the Malecón's blue fence, is the sprawling street market known as La Bahía where you can pick up everything from underwear to DVDs of the Latin Grammy awards.
