Quito: Mitad del Mundo (the equator)

did something constructive today for a change hehehe

me and some friends-for-the-day went to visit "Mitad Del Mundo" (ie. the Equator line)
i think that means i get one point on the "lonely planet score board" though no thanks to lonely planet which told me the wrong place to get off the bus!

in case you didnt know, there are two official equator lines in this funny country..right beside eachother.

the wrong one
impressivly mapped out by a french scientist 400 years ago, with a big concrete monument and a tacky concrete tourist park ...


and the right one
round the back 240 metres away from the other,
proven by GPS just 5 or so years ago to be the real one. this one has just a dirt track leading up to a restored archaeological site which is turned into a little theme park paying the correct tribute to the indigenous cultures of ecuador who apparently knew about all this stuff long ago anyway , these indigenous tribes are still in existence today in other parts of the country.

for $3 you get a friendly guide to show you all of this and tell you interesting stuff about the ways of life of these people.
oh . and he also shows you some cool equator tricks!

lonely planet also said these tricks are not real. well they are.

(sorry i have not manages to upload the video of this because it is 290megs and taking too long

whenever i leave it uploading, some person closes the window on me) if you know how i can make a video smaller please let me know.)

Lama with a wierd eye

baught this truck for $50 today!

not. hehe