Ecuador, as the name suggests, lies on the equator. It happens to pass by only several kilometers from the outskirts of Quito. There is the entire village called Mitad del Mundo, or “Center of the World”. Its most representative site and the main tourist attraction is a symmetrical monument crossed by an East-to-West line drawn on the ground. We haven’t yet figured out its purpose.
Only about 250m North of this site runs the equator. There are lots of interesting phenomena occurring on the latitude 0. Due to the Coriolis forces, the water running out from a basin swirls clockwise just a few steps north from the equator, and counter-clockwise on its southern side. On the very equator it just goes straight down, without the spin. Moreover, you feel strange forces that kick you out of equilibrium when walking on the line of equator; they disappear instantly when you step off this line. These and many other fascinating experiments are demonstrated in a tourist attraction located on top the real equator.
What a pity they are all fake. Even the swirling water is a common scientific myth – its direction is random in practice. You can read about it for example here.
Blog entry location:See entire map here!
You see? We told you!
Hey!. Encouraged and challenged by the first part of your equator story, together with Mammy we made quick “scientific” querry to check direction of water whirls in our sinks and bassins, at home. Results: Bathrooms in basement and ground floor are located at north side of equator! (counterclockwise spin) and the one at I floor must evidently be at south side! (clockwise spin)!. How easy it all is, if you apply scietific methods to your every day life. Mamas conclusion is that probably we (humanity) are just a day before dramatic(?) changing of magnetic poles of Terrra.
The North Pole won evidently (see one of the photos), however still I don’t know WHO won, becase no info which side is north and which is south.
Did you feel younger and younger staying in front of the clock going backwards?
wow… Ecuador seems to be very beautiful!