The Center of the Earth

The equator runs through the Ecuador, which is north of Quito, an hour or so by bus. The name Ecuador comes from the word equator. The 1736, the French, made the measurements indicating where the equator lies in Ecuador. They also proved that the earth is not round, but bulges at the equator. But, when GPS arrived it was determined that the French were off by about 200 meters.  Today, the equator attraction is called La Mitad del Mundo.  It is a bit of a circus act, with food and pricey handicraft stalls.  There is also another attraction, smaller and more quaint that shows where the actual 0 0 0 latitude lies.  We visited both.

                                           La Mitad del Mundo (center of the earth)

                                        The GPS measurement

                                           Indigenous home

                                           Totem poles from different cultures in South America.

                                           Our friend from Hong Kong.