We were having a fun morning exploring Quito and our next stop would be quite entertaining. Of course one keeps hearing about the “Center of the World” here. And after all, the name of the country is Ecuador, which in Spanish literally means “equator”. And this is where Charles Marie de La Condamine part of the French Geodesic Mission to the Equator from whom he split after disagreements and differing beliefs and methodologies, tested out the hypothesis of Isaac Newton and his work in Principia, that the Earth is not a perfect sphere. And that place where Charles Marie de La Condamine determined was the equator is where Ciudad Mitad del Mundo is located. Where the monument to the Equator is located.
Cool, right? But like a rather famous actor said “Hang on there, pilgrim”. His measurement was off. The “actual” location is about 250 yards away, which is where the Intiñan Equator Museum is located.
It’s a kind of kitschy , fun place….
The fella’s above’s name is…well Inti of course.
We did enjoy the exhibits of the Native Tribes and former residents of the area. One even had Cuy running around! Dinner bells must be ringing somewhere!
And yes, that’s a real shrunken head on the right in that glass case.
And there’s a pole to mark Latitude 0. Of course, I’ve read that this location is also a bit off; but not by that much.
Not that this sweet little one cares about it. He just wanted to be pet…..
There are some interesting activities as well. There’s a movable sink which shows how water drains from one side of the equator to the other.
And then there’s balancing an egg on top of a nail. It is said that it is easy at the equator which I’ve read is a myth. But of course, the Missus had to try, right?
Well, so much for that one…..
Regardless of if this is really the center of the world; we enjoyed this stop!
Intiñan Equator Museum
Manuel Cordova Galarza
Quito, Ecuador
We then headed back to the Old Town, stopping on top of a hill was this huge, imposing Gothic Cathedral. This is the Basílica del Voto Nacional.
Construction was started in 1892 and…well, never officially finished. You see, there’s a legend that says if the Basilica is ever finished, the world will come to an end.
You can actually pay to climb to the top of the towers for an extra fee.
And of course the Missus just had to do it. I think I’ve mentioned before….I’m not a fan of heights. Not that it really mattered to the Missus.
The views from the towers were wonderful.
I later mentioned that the Basilica reminded me of Notre Dame and was told it was modeled after it.
Of course, what goes up must come down….which was more scary for me…..
Yikes….
Look at the lovely stained glass window!
After our visit to the Basilica, we headed into the Old Town.
This lovely building was the home of our destination for lunch. We were told that it used to be the Archbishop’s Palace, but now houses shops and restaurants.
La Vid Restaurant is located on the second floor.
A lovely and classy dining room with a view of Plaza Grande.
The menu had a combination of various Ecuadorian dishes which I was really looking forward to, along with western dishes like Carpaccio, Beefs dishes, and pastas. Of course we stayed with the Ecuadorian dishes.
I’d been wanting to try Ceviche Ecuatoriano – Ecuadorian Ceviche ($11.95) – I think I’ve forgotten to mention; Ecuador uses the American Dollar for currency. We cracked up when the “side dishes” for the ceviche arrived……popcorn anyone?
We were told that Ceviche in Ecuador is commonly served with “Canguil”…..basically popcorn, unsalted to provide textural contrast.
We chose to go with ceviche pescado; in this case sea bass for our ceviche. This was almost like a soup. The fish very plump and instead of being “cooked” by citrus, it seemed to have been precooked? The liquid seemed to be big on “shrimpiness”, though lacking in acidity and spice.
We also got the Bandera Ecuatoriana ($8.95), a platter of two types of Ecuadorian Empanadas.
The Empanadas de Verde; green plantain empanadas were a surprise as it was not sweet as expected; but the cheese made it rich and savory….it also really stuck to the roof of your mouth! It was enjoyable. The Beef version made with white corn was crisp, with a wonderful texture if a bit on the salty side.
I was interested in trying the Seco de Chivo La Vid ($17.95); the Goat Stew.
Which came with plantains, super delicious avocado, tasteless steamed potatoes, and yellow rice. I liked the rice; but the Missus isn’t a fan of tumeric, which is one of the ingredients in the rice. Loved the gameyness of the goat, which a bit on the chewier side. Kind of strong in terms of clove tones; with a hint of cumin. Fairly rich and pretty good.
This was an interesting and enjoyable meal, which gave us a look at what Ecuadorian cuisine was like.
La Vid Restaurante
Venezuela Oe4-56
Quito, Ecuador
Right across the street from the restaurant’s location is Plaza Grande (Independence Square) which dates back to 1612!
The Independence Monument, which was unveiled in 1906 honors those who fought for Ecuador’s Independence from Spain.
Many grand buildings surround the square, like the Metropolitan Cathedral.
We were led around the corner to yet another grand looking church; the Iglesia de El Sagrario (“Church of the Tabernacle).
And were encouraged to take a look at the interior, which was quite grand and opulent….wait, did I really write “opulent”? Well, it was!
Check out the main altar!
From here we headed down Sebastián de Benalcázar, passing yet another church.
The Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco (“Basilica and Convent of San Francisco“).
Where our final destination of the day is located. As you know from previous posts; the Missus loves Her chocolate. And across the street from the Basilica resides Yumbos Chocolate.
Which is an artesenal chocolate maker. We were given a short tour, then directed to a table.
Where we were given a tasting. We were the only customers in the place, so it really felt like a private tasting.
Man, that 90% Cacao was potent, a bit too intense and bitter for my taste. The Missus preferred the 60% which had a nice balance of rich and sweet, with a hint of bitterness. I guess we’re kinda wussy when it comes to chocolate?
We did manage to get a few gifts even though we’d be lugging it around for the rest of the trip.
And we’d be having an even more interesting chocolate “meal” later on during our stay.
Yumbos Chocolate
Sebastián de Benalcázar
Quito, Ecuador
From here we headed back to our hotel. It had been quite a day! And since we weren’t very hungry and had access to the Club Lounge at the JW Marriott, we just had a light dinner there.
We had another private tour coming up the following day, plus reservations for a more “fancy” dinner. So, I thought we’d rest up.
Thanks for stopping by!
There was quite a bit of interesting street art in the area. There was a place named Holybelly that was the subject of one of the 
And just wandered around. I ended up buying more Tarbais beans in the shop/deli above….yep, 35€ a kilo and I bought another half kilo.
It was a pleasant stop and we'd eat here again if in the area. And we saw Jean Pierre walk to the dining area and engage in a lively conversation with another gentleman……in full on French. The Missus and I loved it!
Man, this place was quite busy. The lines did move quickly though. The Missus bought some chocolates and a couple of bags of "elixirs" and we headed on out.
Well, to be more specific; it's about the staircase in the chapel. The construction of the Lorreto Chapel was completed in 1878. Unfortunately, due to some weird "oversight", there was no way to reach the choir loft which was 22 feet above. After many consultations the Sisters of Loretto were told that the only way to access the choir loft would be by ladder as a staircase would interfere with the design of the chapel. At wits end, the Sisters started praying to the 
A very pleasant dish. The skate had been nicely prepared, buttery in texture, good black pepper, though perhaps a bit more salt would have helped. Very moist and tender. The accompanying veggies were fine and the caper butter sauce did well with the fish.
The women were from London and arrived via the Eurostar. Something I'd like to do in the future!
Andres met us and after introductions and an overview of what was going to be covered in the tour today, he went over 
And yep, if you're thinking that's Tlaloc above, you'd be right. Check out the eyes and the fangs! 
