Before heading into to the Ecuadorian jungle, Kongo visited the Quitsato Sundial located in Guachalá, Cayambe, Ecuador. This fascinating landmark is about one and a half hours north of Quito. It lies precisely on the equator at latitude 0°0’0”.
There are two other equator landmarks in Ecuador. Kongo has visited both of them. The problem is that the other two monuments are not exactly on the equator. The most touristy one is just outside Quito at the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City). It marks the equator line through this country’s namesake. It also recognizes a geodesic survey carried out by the French Academy of Science in 1736. The problem is, that back in 1736 the French were just a bit off in their calculations. 250 meters off. Not bad for 1736 but Kongo remembers how frustrated Mrs. Kongo was. She noticed water didn’t swirl clockwise when using the toilet, opposite of the direction in does in the Northern Hemisphere. It was no use trying to explain to her that the Coriolis effect, which determines water swirls among other things, doesn’t have much influence on something as small as a toilet sink.
But the previous attempts to precisely straddle the equator are now ancient history as far as the monkey is concerned. You can read more about that attempt here if you are really interested.
But this time, the monkey was spot on. As in exactly on the equator. The giant sundial at Quitsato is also a fascinating museum about all things to do with time and the equator. Our photo group was fortunate. Cristobal Cobo, the director of the museum and ongoing research projects, gave us a personalized tour.
Cristobal Cobo, Director of Quitsato, briefs us about the equator project
The museum marks the exact latitude of the equator. It also promotes the ancient solar heritage of the pre-Hispanic indigenous people who lived in the area. These people had a special relationship with the sun. The ancients recognized the special aspects of the sun and considered that they lived in “the middle of the world.”
The sundial itself is a giant, circular platform 54 meters in diameter. It is made of light and dark stones laid out in the design of an eight-pointed star. It indicates solstices, equinoxes, and cardinal directions. A 10-meter high orange cylindrical tube acts as the gnomon (shadow caster). It accurately marks the hours and months on the platform.
There were plenty of fun things to do here. Like we all verified our latitude with our cell phone GPS. We took turns getting our picture taken on the equator. And we toured the beautiful yucca gardens on the museum grounds.
The sun is directly overhead the gnomon of the Quitsato Sundial at solar noon on the equinoxes. This occurs twice a year, around March 20 and September 22. On these dates, the 10-meter high gnomon casts no shadow at midday, as the sun is directly above it. This phenomenon demonstrates the unique position of the sundial on the equator, where the sun passes directly overhead twice annually during the equinoxes.
There is a great native plant garden at the museum with some beautiful varieties of yuca. In ancient Ecuador, yuca (not yucca) was a staple food with various uses. Yuca, also called cassava or manioc, was a main part of the diet for indigenous people in Ecuador. Its tuberous roots were peeled, soaked, and boiled before eating. The roots were grated and dried. This produced a fine white flour. The flour was used to make bread and other foods. In the Oriente (Eastern) region of Ecuador, indigenous Quichua people used yuca to make chicha de yuca, a fermented beverage. The process involved mashing yuca and grating sweet potato, then fermenting the mixture.
The next time you visit Ecuador, be sure to visit the Quitsato Sundial. Be sure to say hello to Cristobal, straddle the line, and learn more about the history of the importance of the sun at the middle of the world in Ecuador.
Travel safe. Have fun!
Follow Kongo on Instagram: @kongotravelmonkey
