Ecuador 2017 - Quito and the Middle of the World

On Monday we drove to Quito, Ecuador's capital city. We had a late start and stopped at a few places along the way, so by the time we arrived in Quito it was late in the afternoon. The first things that struck me about Quito were that the streets are very steep, and the buildings are very colourful. Criss took us up a hill called El Panecillo, to the statue 'La Virgin del Apocalipsis' or the Virgin of the Apocalypse. We went inside of the statue where there are some displays and information, and beautiful stained-glass windows.

Me, Criss and Mel overlooking Quito

'La Virgin del Apocalipsis' or the Virgin of the Apocalypse

Stained glass window, La Virgin del Apocalipsis

Stained glass window, La Virgin del Apocalipsis

View of Quito and surrounding mountains including Cotopaxi

The Virgin, viewed from a Quito street

The next day, we went to Mitad del Mundo, the monument marking the equator in Ecuador! Before coming to Ecuador I was reading about how the monument is in the wrong location, however once there I learned that the equator is actually 5 kilometres wide, and although this monument is not precisely in the centre of that 5 km, it's close enough for me! The monument is in La Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, or Middle of the World City, which is a fenced off area with museums and other things to look at. The monument itself is a museum inside. When you enter, you go straight up in a lift to the viewing platform. Then you walk down stairs and each floor has different displays and information about the different regions of Ecuador and the indigenous people who live/d there, and some scientific displays and experiments. 

Me on "the equator line" at Mitad del Mundo

View from the top of the monument

Holding up the world, Mitad del Mundo

Melany and Criss, Mitad del Mundo