Middle Of the World Quito, Ecuador
“The equator was wisely put where it is, because if it had been run through Europe all the kings would have tried to grab it.” - Mark Twain
The equator as we all know is an imaginary line located at zero-degree latitude that divides the earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres. That being said, clearly this line runs through the world so why is Quito, Ecuador one of the most visited destinations for the equator?
The highest point of the equator is in the mountains that surround Quito. Apparently, this became the popular spot for scientists to visit because the unobstructed view from point to point that allowed scientists to more easily conduct their experiments and record their findings.
Besides it’s fame for the Middle of the World Monument and visitor site, Quito is the capital of Ecuador, at the highest elevation of any country’s capital and has one the largest and best reserved historical center in Latin America.
As we drove into Quito, the highest elevation that we crossed was 13,400 feet where you could definitely feel the thinness of the air. As the coach came to a stop at the viewpoint, we could see the Atacazco volcano. Many of the group scrambled out of the coach including yours truly to get some pictures.
Quito itself is built in a linear, terraced fashion with colorful houses dotted along the slopes.
Some shopping at the local artisan’s market near our hotel and a good night’s sleep fortified ourselves for a day of adventure wandering through the city center and then the highlight visit to the middle of the earth monument.
While we did get eggs, toast and all kinds of rolls and croissants for breakfast, it’s when you see ceviche in the breakfast buffet that you’re reminded that you’re in a different country.
Our first stop of the morning came at the Basilica del Voto Nacional. It is a neo gothic roman catholic church, the largest of its kind in Latin America started in 1892.
This massive church has turtles and iguanas protruding from the church instead of gargoyles. We did not climb up to the viewpoint which can be accessed via elevator and some risky planks but enjoyed walking around, taking pictures and some of the group ventured inside as well.
El Panencillo is the hilltop from where this beautiful angel figure watches over the city. As we walked through the historic center and explored the various churches and squares, she kept a benign eye on us.
In the middle of the historic center sits the Basilica and convent of San Francisco in San Francisco square. I need to do more research regarding the significance of San Francisco in this part of the world because there is a square of that name in multiple cities in Ecuador.
This is the oldest and most significant religious site in Ecuador and the structure itself is the largest architectural complex within the historic centers of all of South America. San Francisco is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the city of Quito.
Buskers are playing tunes and all manner of people are walking around the square and enjoying the party like atmosphere. There was a lot of concern about safety and definitely as we began our walk through the historic center our guide warned us to keep our belongings close but fortunately our group had no incidents at all.
Then the moment we’d all been waiting for. Our guide made us pull out our cell phones and activate the compass app so we could see the coach approaching zero latitude.
After a bit of chaos as everyone tried to get their cell phones and apps working, success and most of the group were able to bring up their compass and participate in the countdown to the magical 0 0 0. The coach actually came to a stop at that point and those who had their app working took a picture of their phone screens and shared it with the ones who needed it.
For those of you who read my New Year’s post you know that 2022 was an exciting year of the zeros for wandering Veena since I had made it to Greenwich and the Prime Meridian and Zero Longitude early in the year and now making it to Zero latitude. Don’t worry, there’s still a lot of the world to cover but I’m working on it.
And then we were in the parking lot of the Middle of the Earth visitor center and walking to the line that marks the equator. We were able to stand straddling both hemispheres and had fun with all the various photo poses that were suggested.
Of course, we climbed to the top of the monument and not only enjoyed the views from the top but also were able to see the line stretching from West to East.
You do have the option to take the elevator or steps. Let me tell you, that elevator is one of the slowest elevators possible. There is a sign inside the elevator that warns visitors not to hit the button after the doors have closed. Just when we were wondering if it was even moving the doors opened and we were at the top, so hang on tight.
There is a myth about balancing an egg on the equinox when a special gravitational balance occurs. The equator provides that gravitational balance so voila eggs can be balanced. Just one more fun thing to try as you’re wandering around the visitor center and sipping coffee where the foam is designed to look like the monument.
After an eventful trip where we traveled from the coastal region of Guayaquil, the highlands of Cuenca and Riobamba traversing cloud forests and verdant hills and lakes to make our way to the Amazon Rainforest we traveled back up to the highlands of Quito and the middle of the earth for our farewell to Ecuador.
Chocolate is definitely a big export and yes you can buy it on Amazon, but nothing beats those chocolate bars that you carry back in your luggage as gifts for friends and family and your own personal stash.
Who knows perhaps I too will become one of those people making my second, third or fourth trip to Ecuador but for now so long, farewell.