Tag Archives: Ecuador

Mitad del Mundo – Ecuador

Mitad del Mundo - Ecuador

Mitad del Mundo – Ecuador

Mitad del Mundo is Spanish for Middle of the World. It’s the equator in Ecuador. It may not sound like much at first, but it was my big chance to get my picture taken with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one foot in the southern hemisphere. I thought that was cool. It isn’t an opportunity I get every day. I was glad to have it. But Mitad del Mundo wasn’t just a photo op. It was also an adventure. I could have taken the $30 tour, but everyone said it wasn’t necessary. People keep telling me to take the bus. I did. Well actually, I had to take several buses to get there. That was part of the adventure. In the end, I spent about $1 on bus fare each way and I got to visit the equator, something I had never done before. Mitad del Mundo was also a local entertainment center with lots of shops and a big amphitheater where local entertainers performed. I don’t know how many places there are in the world that have a monument dedicated to the middle of the world, but this is one that I think is a must see for the hard-core tourist. For more information click here.

Otavalo Ecuador Market

Otavalo Ecuador Market

Otavalo Ecuador Market

Otavalo is famous for having the one of the largest markets in South America. I went there to see the market and I intentionally went there during a weekday so that I wouldn’t have to deal with what I thought would be a huge crowd. I was right. There was no huge crowd. The market only comprised the central square. There weren’t a lot of buyers. I had been told that the market branches out on weekends to encompass the side streets for blocks and blocks and blocks. That isn’t the case during the week. I didn’t go to buy, I just went to see the town and get a feel for the market. If you want the full impact of the Otavalo Market, you need to go on Saturday. For more information click here.

Otavalo Ecuador Street Food

Otavalo Ecuador Street Food

Otavalo Ecuador Street Food

After visiting the market and the town of Otavalo, I headed back to the bus station, which isn’t really a station at all. It’s a large parking lot with a variety of stalls on the perimeters. These stalls house local vendors who sell a variety of foods and items that would be found in a convenience store. I was interested in the food. I looked around until I found something that looked appetizing. I settled on a little plastic bag filled with french fries on the bottom and covered with what I thought was coleslaw on top. The lady at the stall covered the fries and slaw with a couple of “special sauces” and I had lunch in less than a minute for 50 cents. How great was that?.

Ecuador Andes Mountains

Ecuador Andes Mountains

Ecuador Andes Mountains

Leaving Quito, heading for Guayaquill, there was some great scenery for the first hundred miles or so. Truly spectacular. Anyone that tells you there aren’t some incredible drives in the Andes Mountains either hasn’t been there or is trying to sell you a tour to somewhere else. The mountains are high and steep and covered in vegetation that we never see in the United States. I found that there are lots of things I like about Ecuador. The Andes Mountains are one of them. The range is over 4,000 miles long and has an average height of 13,000 feet. That’s impressive. For more information click here.