Quito - the Center of the World

Center of the world? Why? Are they megalomaniacs here? No. In fact, Quito is located almost exactly on the equator as the highest capital in the world at 2850 meters (Zugspitze at 2962 meters). The indigenous people living here noticed early on that they could determine this position precisely with the help of the surrounding mountain ranges. This is further emphasized by a phenomenon during the summer and winter solstice. On these days, the sun is directly above this spot at noon, so that no object standing upright casts a shadow. All other places on the equator have been prevented from determining the equator without aids either by dense flora (islands in the Pacific) or by migrating dunes (Africa). The Incas, under the command of Tupac Yupanqui (Oh yes, there was someone who was named after him later), were so enthusiastic about this that they left everything behind in Cusco to conquer Quito by force and be closest to their Sun God. It's a pity that about 100 years later the Spaniards were at the door.

Quito sees itself as multinational. The citizens say that due to the mixture of indigenous peoples, Incas, Spanish conquistadors, and immigrants from all over the world, they carry a little bit of everything within themselves. The immigration system is extremely liberal. It allows anyone to enter the country without any restrictions and at the same time entitles them to all state subsidies and subsidies for electricity, water, passenger transport, and insurance. That's right... as soon as you enter, you automatically have full health insurance that covers all costs in case of damage.

10/09/2018

Anyway, we sleep in first. Have breakfast in peace and make our way to explore the city. Up and down. Quito is hilly and you can recognize the colonial influences by the colorful magnificent buildings.

You get a little out of breath, especially at this altitude. Our first stop is the Community Hostel where we book our rainforest tour for $320 per person. Here, there is also a lot of information about our upcoming trips to Mindo and Baños.

In the afternoon, our free walking tour of the city begins. Our guide 'Alberto' enchants us with his city and captivates us with his incredible charisma.

He shows us beautiful and unknown corners. Takes us to golden churches and snack stands with national curiosities.