Journey to the Center of the Earth
Ecuador is the Spanish word meaning “equator”.
As a way of differentiating the country from the actual equator, Ecuadorans refer to the equator as Mitad del Mundo (“The Middle of the World”).
In one of the suburbs of Quito is a city park and monument to the middle of the world.
Right through the center of the town square is a stripe of yellow paint marking the actual equatorial line. There is also a five-story tall monument built straddling the line.
Inside the monument is a museum and interactive science exhibit.
Visitors are allowed to climb to the top of the monument via a very easy internal stairway to an observation deck that looks out over the town square.
Naturally, one of the most popular things for tourists to do is to stand with one foot in each hemisphere and pose so that it looks like they are holding up the entire world in their hands.
No visit to Quito would be complete without paying a visit to the middle of the world.
