La Mitad del Mundo - aka the Equator

Taken by a professional

 Today I visited La Mitad del Mundo, which is what they call the equator here since "ecuador" is both the country name and "the equator" in Spanish. At Mitad del Mundo there is a big monument which was built to signify the actual location of the equator, but this was done before the advent of the GPS. I would not recommend going there, as it is quite the tourist trap. Though I did get to see an exhibit of the many different giant beetles you might find in the jungle here. They are enormous!

I do NOT look like a tourist!

 What is worth seeing is this place - Museo de Sitio Inti-nan. It is a short walk down the road from Mitad del Mundo, and it marks the actual equator itself. Once there, you will be grouped with a guide, and then he or she will take you on an adventure via stories of another time and culture. For example, we learned how to shrink heads! Plus, they had an actual shrunken head on display. In the Amazon rainforest, certain tribes used to cut the heads off of their dead and boil them in water. Then they would remove the skull, and through various processes they would shrink the head. They believed it would hold in the person's power. They did this for their most respected and revered peoples, and also for their strongest enemies. It was fascinating. Our guide was wonderful, very lively and quick-witted. I received a fancy certificate for successfully balancing an egg on a nailhead! It was a fun day.

Guide

 While I was waiting for my connecting flight in Miami on the 20th, I met a woman from Georgia who is also traveling solo in Ecuador, though she for a short time. She and I linked up at the equator and spent the day together. The buses here do not announce any stops. They rarely even make any scheduled stops. When you are ready to get off, you simply go to the door. This means one must recognize where one is at all times. Unfortunately, I believe that would be difficult for anyone new to this country, much less one as directionally challenged as I am! Thus, even with the pair of us, we missed our stop and were actually well on our way back to the equator before we realized it. She realized it before me, but being the only one that speaks Spanish, it took me awhile before I could swallow my embarrassment to confirm. Sure enough, we had to get off and perilously cross the street to eventually make our way back to Quito. Circumstances led to us getting a cab the rest of the way. If I told you why, you'd agree with our choice.

Nick

 This is Nick, the family dog. (I am still staying with a wonderful family here in Quito, as my home base.) Nick is very skilled at sneaking out of the gate when you leave. I am shocked each time. He is a ninja-dog! This night he followed me 4 blocks all the way to and into the store. I felt so safe walking with him, and have therefore truly bonded with Nick. He got hit by a car the next day, but thankfully he is doing fine.

Rita's tree

 I was asked about Rita, so I decided to post a picture of her tree here. She had previous owners for many years, who kept her in a cage. Thus, she can no longer fly because her muscles have atrophied. (At least that is what I understood of the explanation in Spanish.) So, she lives happily and heartily in this tree in the back yard, overlooking the home's nice, big garden.

Wandering around lost one afternoon in Quito, I snapped this photo of an indigenous family. Here, specifically in Quito, they seem to wear a lot of felt clothing. I have noticed that the dress of indigenous people varies by location and possibly by tribe affiliation. I wish I had more photos to show you, but I do not feel comfortable taking their pictures without asking, and as of yet I feel too shy to ask.

Random door in the old town