It's True!
Trip Start
Jul 10, 2007
1
44
46
Trip End
Mar 11, 2008
Quito,
Quito,
Ecuador
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
It's all true!
Water flows vertically down the drain without swirling when you stand on the equator. We witnessed this truth at the greatest little museum in Quito which sits exactly on the line.
A portable sink is used to explain this phenomenon, and by moving it to the north of the equator, we watch the water flow and swirl counter clockwise. When we step away to the south, the draining water swirls clockwise.
Apart for the fact that once again, we were high up in the clouds and the brain cells did not synapse as well as they should upon our arrival, Quito was worth the short stop
Water draining south
. Back to the great little museum...there are a lot of funky trivial facts about being on the equator. First and foremost, Ty's favourite tidbit of information is the fact that when you stand on this famous line of latitude, one weighs 2kg less than anywhere else on earth...no need for zero gravity here to forget the past savouring of too many great meals.
Funky facts at 0° latitude:
1. The length of Earth's equator is about 40,075 km.
2. No tornadoes here (which pleased XDude and maman)
3. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun's rays are perfectly perpendicular to the surface and for two minutes around noon, there are no shadows.
4. Sunsets and sunrises on the equator can be very quick so get the camera.
5. One can not walk on a straight line, eyes closed on the equator-too much dizzying pull from both sides.
6. It is difficult to balance an uncooked egg on a nail...which seems to be a hobby in Ecuador
water draining on equator
. 7. There are two seasons; wet or dry and yes our theme of being drenched by famous rain showers continued here too.
8. One looses strength when standing on the equator ( no Ty, there is no kryptonite here).
9. During the two equinox days (spring, fall), the three groovy celestial constellations, the Big Dipper (northern sky), the Southern Cross (southern sky) and Orion (both hemispheres) all line up above. Magical!
There is also a great little market in Quito and an old part of town worth visiting. Of course, Quito was the first stop to our cruise to the Galapagos Islands. Oh, I think I can hear Jacques Cousteau calling my name.
