Quito y la Mitad del Mundo

My Galapagos adventure finished few days ago. I was afraid that after this, it could be more difficult to appreciate other places, in particular a big city like Quito.

The first day in the capital I wanted to visit the centre, but I still had eyes problems, so I couldn't use contact lenses. Sun light was causing pain to my right eye, so I went out only with my sunglasses. I couldn't see anything, so after one hour I came back to my hostel. I took off the sunglasses and I wore my glasses. I went out again but the light was too strong and I couldn't open my eyes. So I came back to my hostel where I spent the rest of the day, resting and talking with other people. Here I met another Italian ( the 6th one since my departure) that works abroad and travels since many years, . We talked a lot and we arrived to the conclusion that only Italians that don't live in Italy can travel (this was confirmed 3 days after when another Italian arrived to out hostel: at the question "where do you live" the answer was "England"). 

On the second day I met another Italian friend (it's already the forth time we met in South America, every time in a different city) and we visited the historical centre with its churches and its old buildings.

In the evening a German girl met in the Galapagos arrived in Quito and we one decided to visit together one of Quito's most famous attractions: La Mitad del Mundo, the middle of the world, located just few km north, where the equator line passes. We had fun taking pictures and visiting the different museums of the park. We also tried some experiments. We walked on the equator line with closed eyes and we really lost our balance as they told us. But I think that this can happen everywhere when you try to walk on a line. We tried the experiment of the egg. At the equator you should be able to make it stand on its base. We just found a broken eggs, but we didn't manage to get the expected result (probably because it was broken). But the best experiment was about the weight loss (at the equator you should weigh less). I weighed myself and I realised that I weigh much less than last time I weighed myself (6 monghs ago). Also in this case, I can't really say that the experiment worked (because I have no idea how much I really weigh now), but for me was a great result!

Weighing myself 

Walking on the equator line 

 This church was built on the equator line and the yellow line is visible even inside the church! 

Near the park, it possible to visit the Pululahua volcano. Its crater is the biggest inhabited crater in the world. Unfortunately when we arrived there, its crater was completely covered by the fog. It opened only for few seconds, just the time to take couple of pictures. 

La Mariscal - Quito