You already took the obligatory picture holding up the tower of Pisa to show off your superhuman strength, so now you only need to step on both hemispheres of the Earth at the same time to, once again, feel like a master of the world. And is there a better way to feel superhuman than to place one foot in each hemisphere of the globe at the same time?
While this is something you could do at countless points on Earth along the zero parallel, only in the city in the middle of the world will you know exactly where to place yourself. And you know what? This city is not a product of the imagination; it exists, and its goal is to accurately mark the exact position of the line of the equator, which passes through Ecuador’s capital city, Quito.
The complex that forms the so-called Middle of the World offers you an opportunity for several Kodak moments that you will not want to miss under any circumstances. For example, the commemorative monument erected in honor of the horizontal midpoint of the planet, whose four sides represent each of the cardinal points (East, West, North and South). At its highest point, a huge earth globe made of metal, with the continents in relief, reflects the real position of the Earth.
And to preserve the moment for eternity, the line that marks the zero parallel will give you the opportunity to (finally!) plant a foot in each hemisphere. And if you feel strong, try to keep them apart by pushing both sides with your feet. Many have tried, but we warn you that few have succeeded.
Finally, to end this unique adventure with a bang, in the “Ciudad Mitad del Mundo” you can visit the Ethnographic Museum (which houses a reproduction of a Spanish colonial village), as well as witness a live demonstration of the “Coriolis Effect“, where two identical containers, one in each hemisphere, are filled with water. When the bottom is removed to empty them, in each one the water will rotate in the opposite direction. This happens because objects in the Northern Hemisphere are deflected to the right, while objects in the Southern Hemisphere are deflected to the left. it’s truly a unique experience!
Photo | Queulat00
