Otavalo

In 1735 a team of French scientists set off for what was then known as the Viceroyalty of Peru, but now Ecuador. Their task was to take an exact measurement of one degree of latitude at the equator. By comparing this measurement at the equator with a measurement that had already been made in France they could settle the then burning scientific debate whether the earth was spherical or bulged at the middle. Why would anyone care? Well, then as now scientists felt great passion about the competing theories (“round” earth followers of Descartes vs a Newtonian “fat” earth society). Also, the answer would allow for more accurate ocean navigation, something of military and commercial importance at that time.

Quito became their base of operations, working out of the building described in the early post as the municipal cultural center. The story of this remarkable expedition is told in a book Evie and I read a few years ago titled The Mapmaker’s Wife by Robert Whitaker. It is a very interesting book and a great story. In addition to adventures of the expedition, there is also a murder, a story of love and devotion and a harrowing story of survival down the Amazon.  

A few miles north of Quito is a monument called the Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world), which marks the location of the equator. The word Equator wouldn’t work for the monument, since in Spanish that’s the same as the country name. You can straddle the yellow line and be in both the north and southern hemispheres. 

But, unfortunately, that isn’t quite true. The monument marks a location identified by these French scientists in the early 18^th century. With the benefit of modern GPS technology, we now know that these Frenchmen were off by about 240 meters. Using GPS technology, some others identified the real equator and built another monument called the Intiñan Solar Museum to mark its location. They had used early civilian GPS technology, however, and we now know from more advanced GPS systems with military precision that they also were wrong, and in any event the exact location moves a few feet throughout the year.

So, it you want to straddle the equator, you have several options in Ecuador, each in its unique way probably wrong. But I’d still pick the Mitad del Mundo because it is the better story. Off by 240 meters! The earth is a big place and given that these Frenchmen were basically eyeballing this with early 18th century equipment they had carried into the jungle and up and down mountains, taking their readings and making their calculations by hand in difficult circumstances (altitude sickness, frostbite and violent winds in the mountains and alligators, snakes, scorpions and ''moschitos'' along the rivers), it is amazing they were able to do it at all, let alone get that close. And by the way, they proved Newton correct; the earth bulges slightly at the equator.

This has nothing to do with our trip to Ecuador, however. We did not visit these monuments that we know with confidence do not actually mark the equator. Rather, we had a more interesting adventure planned. With the Johnsons in a borrowed car we headed out Saturday on a fascinating tour through the countryside north and east of Quito. Our first objective was Otavalo and its famous market. Otavalo is about 20 miles north of Quito. (Since the equator is about 10 miles north, we crossed the equator and into the northern hemisphere on the highway north. I didn’t notice a sign signifying the momentous event.)

This is in the market. The shops were interesting, especially the beautiful textiles and alpaca wool products.

The Church is quite strong in Otavalo and has been for some time. This is a mother and daughter we met at one of the shops who were members and, of course, identified us first as missionaries. It was fun to talk with them. The population of Otavalo is still mostly indigenous and, like these sisters, the women still wear the traditional black skirt, white embroidered blouse and a shawl; not just to dress up for the tourists in the market, this is what they all wear on the street.

A one-man band making his way through the stalls.

After shopping we went to a small town farther north called Cotacachi, which is famous for leather goods. Sister Johnson bought a nice leather bag for temple clothes. The Johnson’s also had memories of a nice restaurant that was run by a Danish family nearby. We went looking and, after winding around some old dirt roads, fields and some of the less desirable neighborhoods, we found this place, pretty much just as they had remembered it from years earlier.

La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa, a five-star resort located just outside Cotacachi. 

We had lunch, which was an interesting experience (the food was also really good). The appetizer was served in a music box that played "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera when opened (a classy place for some old senior missionaries).

A view of the back from the restaurant. Notice the birds in the lawn.

Peacocks, along with other birds and animals, patrol the back yard.

 After lunch we made our way back to Quito taking a different route through the country side. All along the way we saw hundreds of these: green houses. Ecuador is a large exporter of flowers. While most of Ecuador’s revenues come from oil exports and it is famous for bananas, flower growing (floriculture) is one of its most important industries. It is the third largest flower exporter in the world,  of mostly roses). 

 

A band just a few miles north and south of the equator here is the ideal place for growing flowers, especially long stem roses. It has the maximum amount of natural light year around and, at this altitude with cool evenings, Ecuador produces flowers with brighter contrasting colors than, for example, neighboring Colombia.  I’m told Ecuadorian flowers sell at a premium.

When we were there, however, they were almost giving them away. Hurricane Irma had closed the Miami airport, the entry for these flowers to shops throughout the United States. Not surprisingly, many of the large industrial scale floriculture operations are Dutch owned, such as De Ruiter.

On our way back to Quito. For a brief moment, I thought we were in Star Valley.

I like this picture taken in the country side on the way back. It’s one I think my father and Grandfather would like too.

Ecuador was a great trip. We were lucky to be able to travel with Dic and Jennifer Johnson. Dic is an interim ALC and we will miss them when they leave in a few months.