TWO Places At Once!!

I mentioned in my post about 24 hours in Quito that Kelsi and I took a trip to the equator, or as it is called in Ecuador, Mitad del Mundo. This was our first activity in Quito because we knew it was one thing we didn't want to miss.

After arriving in Quito, we got great directions from our hostel and set out to find the equator. Taking the Metrobus from the old part of town to the northernmost station, Ofelia, and then transferring to the Mitad del Mundo bus, we arrived an hour and a half later for only $0.40 each. LOVE Ecuador.

The Mitad del Mundo site is actually divided into two separate monuments. First we traveled to the more touristy of the two monuments. This is the place where, in 1736, Frenchman Chales/Marie de La Condamine made his measurements to show this was the equatorial line. His measurements helped to prove that the world is indeed round, but not a perfect sphere since it bulges at the middle. Here a large stone monument with a brass globe on top commemorates his hard work.

On the Metro to the equator!!

Arrived!

The middle of the earth is quite windy.

Kelsi and I at the first equator monument.

Standing in both hemispheres! (According to French dude.)

This particular site definitely had a tourist feel and seemed more like an amusement park than the equator, but I enjoyed seeing it. The Ecuadorians are clearly proud of this claim to fame! After the Mitad del Mundo site we headed down the road a few hundred meters to the "real" equator, as measured by GPS.

At Museo Solar Inti Nan, the quirky but informative displays and guides will show you all about the myths and truths associated with the equator. We took a tour to learn about indigenous people in Ecuador, looked at a sun clock, learned to balance an egg, and tried to walk in straight line on the equator.

Entrance to the Museo Solar.

The "real" equator!!

Here we are :)

Attempting to walk the line.

Handstand on the equator. I blame the equator for my balance issues.

Sun clock at about 2:35 PM.

Trying to balance the egg.

Success!

We finished the day with Mitad del Mundo stamps in our passports, both from the official site and the "real" equator. A great trip to the middle of the earth!!

It's official!

...and with that the Ecuador posts are over. Time to get back to the real world of blogging about the awesomely exciting life of an 8th grade math teacher.