Day 2: Quito, Ecuador

The Virgin of Quito standing watch over the city.

What a day! We did a ton of walking today.  I thought I was in pretty good shape, but some of the hills in this city are insanely steep.  Our day was packed with activities and sightseeing.  Quito is the capital of Ecuador and the second-highest altitude city in the world at 9,350 ft.  It is surrounded by both active and dormant volcanoes and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978.  

Middle of the World

We first headed to Mitad del Mundo, a popular spot to stand on the equator.   At the Museo del Sitio Intiñan (solar museum), we got a crash course in the history of the indigenous people of Ecuador and some of the interesting wildlife.  One of the exhibits we got to see was a fish of nightmares!   Nicknamed the "penis fish", the candiru is attracted to the ammonia in urine and will swim up the urethra if you pee in the water.  It will then latch on, get stuck, and then have to be surgically removed.  Swim with caution!

The candiru fish.

Shrunken chief head.

Another neat thing we got to see was the shrunken head of a 12-year-old chief. The indigenous peoples would cut off the heads of those they found to be knowledgeable, remove the skull, shrink the heads in a concoction of herbs, and then wear the head around the neck in order to gain said knowledge.  

You can't go to the equator without seeing if the water really does spin different directions on each hemisphere though!  The museum has a bunch of neat experiments for everyone to try.  In one experiment, water on each hemisphere was drained from the bottom of a simple container.  A flower was placed in each one to see which way it would spin.  Each one ended up spinning in a different direction, so rest assured that it does spin the other way down under.

Some of the other experiments included balancing an egg on a nail (which Scarlett and I both accomplished!) and different gravity tests.  If I held my arm up while standing in a hemisphere, Scarlett was not strong enough to pull my arm back down.  However, if I held my arm up while standing on the equator, she could pull it down with no problem!

One in the North and one in the South.

It balanced!

There are sundials of all different kinds scattered throughout the outdoor museum as well.  They were all pretty reliable as well since we made a point of checking the dial against our watches just to be sure.

Virgin of El Panecillo

Virgin of El Panecillo.

After our visit to the equator, we headed back to Quito to see the breathtaking view of the city from the Virgin of El Panecillo.  The Virgin of Quito sits at the highest point on El Panecillo Hill with the highest point of the monument reaching 135 ft and can be seen all throughout the city.  The statue was built as a replica of the popular 12-inch wooden Virgin of Quito sculpted in 1734.  From the viewpoints on top of the hill you can see all of Quito.  Even with the intense wind throwing my hair around my face I could spot the dramatic line of architectural changes that divides the new and historic districts.  

The view from the top of Panecillo Hill.

Historic District of Quito

Church and Covenant of St. Francis alter.

The historic district is where we headed next with all of its unique Spanish inspired architecture.  We visited the Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco (Church and Covenant of St. Francis) and the Compañía de Jesús (the Church of the Jesuits).  The inside of both churches were almost overwhelming with their ornate decor and richness.  While I was able to take photos inside the Church of St. Francis, they are prohibited inside the Church of the Jesuits.  

Inside the Church and Covenant of St. Francis.

Outside the Church of the Jesuits.

Heading to Chez Tiff Artesanal.

In between our church stops, we swung by Chez Tiff Artesanal to learn about (and taste) cacao beans.  Ecuador is known as one of the best cocoa producers in the world.  We learned about the different stages the beans go through before becoming chocolate and the different uses for cocoa butter.  The chocolate was blissful - so smooth and creamy.

Unfermented cacao pod.

Fermented cacao pod.

We finished off our tour of the the historic district in the Plaza Grande before heading back to the hotel.  

Plaza Grande in the heart of Quito's historic district.

One of the buildings along the plaza with restaurants inside.

Such a neat mural on the way to our hotel.

I was pretty excited that I also got to try sweet plantains.  For some reason I was always under the impression they were like awful bananas, but that was completely wrong.  They were delicious and it was like eating a nice thick potato chip.  Scarlett continues to be less than enthused about trying new foods.  She remains a picky 9-year-old, but maybe I can get her to try some cuy...

Tomorrow we are flying to the Galápagos Islands for a few days!