Day 5- Mitad del Mundo

Guest Writer-Jessie

It is impossible for me to describe my experience at Mitad del Mundo without giving somewhat of a background of who I am and how I relate to the epic saga that is Justin and Shannon’s wedding.   First, allow me to properly introduce myself  (being that this little tale will be written in the first person narrative) my name is Jessie and I have the sole privilege of being Justin’s only sibling.  Many people are inclined to believe that he is my older brother however this is a popular misconception which I am sure has to do with Justin’s natural leadership and delegation skills, which consequently is also a major factor in most of our childhood physical altercations.  I digress.

To be perfectly honest, geography was not my best subject in school so when I first heard that Shannon and Justin were moving to Ecuador, I was not even sure what continent that country was on. I remember thinking “well that sounds extra foreign” and also like a once in a lifetime adventure that I was extraordinarily grateful that I was not a part of it (I’m not a fan of foreign foods; this single factor accounts for much of my hesitance with travelling outside the US).   I inquired with Justin and Shannon about where the country was, its economic standing, we touched upon the cultural a minuscule amount; however the one thing that really put the entire experience in perspective was that the Equator runs right through Ecuador.

The invitation to the Wedding came after I was already informed on the basic particulars (i.e. that they were getting married and that the ceremony would take place in South America).  I knew that although on paper it didn’t appear to work out; there was absolutely no way I was missing this wedding. Even though I was somewhat fearful of being kidnapped and forced into various forms of slavery (clearly an indication of my ignorance but hey I’m trying to be honest. Please don’t let it reflect too negatively on me).  After all, this was my YOUNGER (emphasis is for your benefit Justin) brother’s wedding and also because I really like Shannon as well.  So I began my travel experience from New York, NY to Quito, Ecuador- alone.  Which, as an aside, I think was tremendously brave on my part.

I could continue into great detail on the various adventures and tours that were planned, with great detail, on our behalf by Justin and Shannon. However, I was instructed that this could be as short or as long as desired but since I know that typically people get discouraged when looking at something rather long; I’ll do my best to keep it to a minimum from here on out.

Upon our arrival in Quito, we were given a breakdown of what the group would be doing every day and my initial reaction was that I could not wait to visit the Equator, i.e. Mitad del Mundo for those Gringos that don’t know.  I thought that while this entire trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity; that the visit to the Equator is something that truly not many people will ever get to experience.

Heather and Berto on the Equator

We departed from our lovely accommodations at the Hacienda Cusin in Otavalo, Ecuador on a brisk Saturday morning.  We took the several hour trip to the Equator and although I was beyond excited to visit this worldly monument, it was bittersweet as some of our group had either already left or were shortly departing to start their journey home.  I really did not know what to expect from the Mitad del Mundo.  Ecuador is a strange place of profound beauty and extreme poverty, this mix is what I find so fascinating about Ecuador.  I was not sure if it was simply going to be a simplistic giant line in a field or if it was going to be some extreme display of cultural pride.  I was just really excited to take pictures of me standing on the Equator and to be able to say that I truly was in two places at one time.
When we pulled up I saw that the Mitad del Mundo was indeed grandiose and clearly something much more than I expected.  It seemed to be situated at the top of a slight incline within the Andes Mountains.  The Mitad del Mundo had a walk way with a bright yellow line down the center that was the famous Equator.  The line ran straight up to the actual monument.  Running alongside the walkway were various tourist shops as well as a few restaurants (this is important, it will be incorporated later) and a museum that from what we understood housed various exhibits about the indigenous people of the area and there was a rumor that it also contained shrunken human heads.  This seemed to be a huge selling point for many people, but as someone who has seen human heads (the Mutter Museum in Philly, if anyone is interested) they really aren’t that interesting. After some moderate research I can tell you that this was done by “removing the skull, sewing the eyes and mouth shut, then cooking the skin for an hour or so and filling it with hot rocks” and it looks exactly the way you imagine- like a freeze dry Verizon of a head. (Here's an example).

Meg and her new boyfriend

There were large glass (or at least it appeared to be glass) statutes that also worked as a sitting spot for visitors that were made to look like giant hummingbirds resting on a solitary leaf.  They are beautiful; the artist uniquely utilized the natural colors that one seems to see solely in Ecuador. The curvatures of the glass are intricate; it makes you a little hesitant to want to sit in them.  They are a beautiful ornament that enhance the over-all feeling that one has when visiting the monument and are worthy of notation.

The Mitad del Mundo was also aligned with various little statutes that acknowledged that you were now at 0 degrees Latitude.  Most interesting were a variety of exhibits that show you the significance of the Equator; how it differs from pretty much every other area of the world.  A few notable examples worth mentioning are the fact that there are always 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night on the Equator.  There are also examples of the Coriolis Effect which is a natural phenomenon in which various elements react in the different hemispheres.  For example: water tides, hurricanes and wind patterns rotate one direction in the northern hemisphere and another direction in the southern hemisphere.  Interestingly, however, when a sink plug is pulled on the equator, the water does not swirl into the drain, it gets pulled straight down.  There were also demonstration tables in which one could test the infamous egg of a nail experiment.  Although I was eager to participate in this experiment, I wasn’t able to do so as another group of tourists, hell bent on accomplishing this task, tried for quite some time with little success however they were undaunted and continued, unfazed, to try despite the long line of people waiting about.  After witnessing their lack of success and growing impatient I decided to abandon ship.  Besides, I really did not want to be the one responsible for cracking the solitary egg that was provided for the exhibit- which would have surely been inevitable.

Bethany and Baby Bro

After wandering and exploring the monument I decided it was time to hunker down and get my requisite pictures- after all when afforded with the opportunity of a great selfie, it is almost a crime to let the moment pass. The Mitad del Mundo provides from some fantastic selfies as well as an opportunity to pose for some silly tourist photos.  With the assistance of Justin and Shannon we took some photos with either foot in each hemisphere and general silliness that is entirely too predictable but also great fun.  It was around this time that Justin informed me that as tourist trap, several of the stores would stamp your passport with the Mitad del Mundo stamp.  I had my mission.  Of all the well-seasoned travelers I have met in my lifetime, not a single one of them could claim that they had a passport stamp from the center of the world.  A few of my constituents and myself must of stopped in about 5 stores and consequently received about 5 confused looks along with some under the breath mutters about being Gringos before finally being able to locate someone who had the said passport stamp.  Ironically it was in one of the restaurants and it was not advertised as a service they provide however their kindness in providing it to us was rewarded when we decided to eat there.  I ordered French fries.

CUY!!!

Our time at Mitad del Mundo was limited but there had been whispers or flat out declarations throughout the entire trip (I’m referring to you, Tim) of excitement and precipitation; several people were not planning on leaving the country without trying the native delicacy of Cuy.   To save you a trip from Google I’ll just tell you what it is- it is guinea pig.  Yes the furry little creatures that resemble enlarged hamsters. Mostly of pleasant demeanor and primarily used as pets for small children in the United States. These animals appear to be prepared by skinning them and roasting them over a grill.  Although I had absolutely no intention of diverting from my already pre-assigned diet of French fries; I decided I really need to bear witness to several people from our group trying this delicacy for the first time.  When the dish was placed in front of us, it is not how I expected it to look.  I thought perhaps it was cut or garnished in a way that would not remind you that it was once an animal such as popularly prepared in America.  Clearly I was mistaken.  It was placed on our table with a stick through its body and skinned other than that it still resembled a small animal, albeit one in extreme agony.  It was at this point that I decided that no matter how much I was pressured, I would not succumb to eating the Cuy.  It was rather humorous to watch everyone else eat it. Some seemed to struggle through eating it; others seemed to revel in the foreignness of it.  Although I believe the consensus was that it tasted like dark meat chicken but that the skin had a “weird taste” and although I could be wrong I do not think anyone was looking forward to eating again.

Yum

The departure from Mitad del Mundo was bittersweet as I knew it would be the last time, or at least for a very long time, that I would see many of these people including my brother and new sister in law.  I felt very much like a stranger when I first came to Ecuador.  Most of the people I had never met before but by the time I left they felt more like family.  I think that overall we all came to Ecuador to celebrate the wedding of Justin and Shannon.  All of us travelling many miles to support them, be there to watch them get married and start their new lives as husband and wife and as an testiment of the love that we all possess for them both- individually and as a couple.  However ultimately I think that Justin and Shannon gave each of us a much greater gift.  They took the most significant event in their respective lives and turned it into such a great adventures for all of us. They planned things so that many of us, who were strangers to each other, felt like family by the end of it.   It was truly such a selfless thing to do.  The wedding week was probably the largest testament of love that I have ever seen, not just for Justin and Shannon to each other but for all of us who came to their wedding and got to partake in the incredible adventures they planned for everyone.  I feel so incredibly grateful and blessed to have been a part of it.  It was truly the trip of a lifetime that I will never forget.