 | There is an old adage that a bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush. We find this adorable restaurant and decide to get some chow before we leave for Mindo. It's not quite on the equator, but close! |
I was so happy to see a menu (in English to boot!), I completely flubbed on ordering. I thought I was getting some sort of Tomato Shrimp soup. Instead, here's my cold shrimp salsa...
We do stop in at the Equator museum, where you are suppose to play with the experiments that are only possible at the Equator. As much as I want to channel my inner geek, it seems hokey. Then I got flash backs to the time I paid $20 to go into a "Ripley's Believe it or Not" Museum. About the only thing I felt "believing" as I left Ripley's was that I was scammed out of $20. We settle on taking this happy snap and booking out of town instead.
Now, we've been to 2 locations claiming the 00' 00' 00' title. An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plan perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and midway between the poles. Earth's equator is about 24,901 mi long; 78.7% is across water and 21.3% is over land. However, finding it is easier than is sounds.
The highest point on the equator is at the elevation of 15,387 ft at 0°0′0″N 77°59′31″W, found on the southern slopes of in Ecuador. This is slightly above the snow line, and is the only place on the Equator where snow lies on the ground.
Today, we'll settle for an altitude with an all zero reading.
The highest point on the equator is at the elevation of 15,387 ft at 0°0′0″N 77°59′31″W, found on the southern slopes of in Ecuador. This is slightly above the snow line, and is the only place on the Equator where snow lies on the ground.
Today, we'll settle for an altitude with an all zero reading.
The Equator is not quite fixed. The true equatorial plane is always perpendicular to the Earth's spin axis; this axis is fairly stable but its position drifts about 49 ft during a year and the Equator shifts likewise. However, you can see the Equator monument ball in the background. It's still off by more than 49 ft.
Having our fill of being around way too many touristas, we head for the hills. But first, we head for the craters! Pululahua has one of the world's largest volcanic caldera with an average base diameter of 8 km. The crater is breached on the NW side and in the middle a huge lava dome formed with a height of 500m and a base diameter of 3 km. It is also one of two in the entire world, which is populated and is primarily used by indigenous people for agricultural purposes.
While I am trekking off to get the world's most awesome panorama, Bruce has elected to let the cool mountain breeze just brush over him.
