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Hi!
I have literally been to the centre of the earth today! I went to the equator line.
Me, Vivian and Alice (who I met on my Galapagos trip) caught a local bus for about 40p out to the equator line. This is in comparison to the $32 GAP were going to charge me! Vivian speaks Spanish so that is the only reason I was able to catch the bus, otherwise I wouldn't have a clue!
Anyway catching the bus is an experience in itself. There are people who get on trying to sell their goods, or busk along the way.
The monument built to commemorate the equator line is actually 250m or so from the geographically correct spot. With the invention of GPS they realised this - a bit too late! The momument is in a strange tourist park. Outside the park is a cool museum where some scientists are busy working out the significance of ancient monuments across Ecuador. It was there that they told us that the line is not where the monument was built.
It is really interesting how the Spanish used the old sun temple sites to build churches (there are loads all in a line which is at a specific angle to the equator), and then placed statues of Jesus etc in the church so that at certain times of the day the sun would shine directly on them. I bought a DVD on the topic to find out more - so when I get home you can all expect another exciting installment on this subject!
I'm off to Lima tonight. Im just going to pick up a new pair of glasses (my 3rd pair of the trip cos I keep scratching them!) then I am going to the airport. My next tour starts tommorrow, so its not long until I see Machu Picchu - yipee!!
Louise xxx.
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