La Mitad Del Mundo (The Middle Of The World)

The Balancing Act On The Equator

Ecuador actually means Equator. The imaginary line that runs through the centre of the Earth were it´s latitude reads 0.00. I´ve been to the Equator before. Over a year and a half ago now I was in Sumatra in Indonesia, were I took a local bus from the nearby town to the site of the Equator. A line was drawn in the road marking the spot but that was pretty much it. Here in Equador though, they appear to have a whole tourist scene set up. From Quito, you have to take two local buses, about an hour north of the city. When you get to the town, there is a large tourist park waiting for you. Inside are shops, generally selling souvernirs and t-shirts with " I made it to the Equator" printed on it. We went on a Sunday when Quiteno families make the trip as well as tourists and there is live music being played throughout the day.

In the centre of the park is a large Monument with a brass globe on the top. The tower represents the site of the Equator. It´s the location where Charles-Marie de la Condamine made the measurements in 1736 showing that this was indeed the equatorial line. His expaditions gave rise to the metric system and proved that the world is not perfectly round but bulges at the Equator.

Actually this is officially not the site of the Equator. When the measurements were made, they were off by about 240m. Around the corner from the tourist park is a small museum, claiming to be the actual site (made by GPS measurements). The museum is called Museo Solar Inti Nan. It´s an outdoor museum where they show you some fun and fascinating experiments even if none of them are technically accurate.

In our group, a guide walks you around. First you see the water being poured down three drains, one either side of the Equtaor and one on the actual line. On the Equator the water appears to head straight down, while either side it spins clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on if your standing on the Southern or Northern Hemisphere. Actually the theory is right, the Coriolis force does make weather patterns veer right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern. But research has proved that the force is too weak to effect small bodies of water like those in a sink or a toilet. We suspect that it´s the way the water is poured in the sink that causes its spin here. It did look impressive though even if it isn´t real.

They also claim you can balance an egg on a nail on the Equator. Everyone got a go. I couldn´t do it but others did manage it. And they also say its impossible to walk in a straight line with your eyes closed and arms up, but it is possible either side of the Equatorial line, as well as doing other experiments where you lift up your friends and try your forces of strength with odd effects around this magical site. I think most of it was more in the mind than the power of the Equator, although we did achieve something - we all looked positively ridiculous.

Actually one truth about the Equator, is that you do actually weigh less, when compared to standing on the poles. This is because at the Equator there is greater centrifugual force, making you weigh about 0.3% lighter than if you were at higher latitudes. In light of this, many of the women in our group didn´t want to leave.

The museum also shows some indigenous, sacred traditions as this was also once an important site for the idigenous populations. They show some shrunken heads, a technique used by people here 1000 years ago, as well as some animals and bugs from the Amazon Jungle, which is only a few hours drive East of Quito. One creature scared all the men greatly, as it will swim up your urine stream from the river and head straight into your very private parts, where it nestles. You need an operation to get it removed and I believe it´s not particularly pleasant. No-one will be going to the toilet in an Amazon River in a hurry I can tell you that much.

We left the middle of the world and headed back to Quito. Even though the science disproves most of the Equator mysteries, it was still fun seeing them all in action. And just being on the Equator I guess is exciting enough. However, it was back to the big city for more Quito living.................