Find Out Why People from All around the World Come to Walk Along This Line

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The City of Quito is known as one of the Latin American countries that has better preserved in a tangible way its Colonial past, but it is also famous for other interesting things, like being the so-called “World’s belly button”:

Dividing the globe into a northern and a southern half by an imaginary line called “Equinoctial line” or “Equator”, the French geodesic expedition that took place in 1736 found out that the center of the planet was located right at the city of Quito, where a Center of the World monument was erected. Nowadays, many people from all around the world enjoy having pictures taken at that monument, with one foot stepping in the northern hemisphere and the other foot stepping on the southern hemisphere of the planet.

The French geodesic mission’s objective was to confirm the shape of the Earth. For this effect, they created the universal metric system that is currently used. With that system, they discovered –to the world’s astonishment– that the planet was round and flattened on the poles. After intense measuring work, the mission also managed to determine that the center of the world was located inside the province of Pichincha, in the Ecuadorian northern mountain range, 13.5km (8.3mi) away from downtown Quito.

That area is now known as the “Center of the World City”, whose main construction is the Center of the World Monument, a 30m (98ft)-tall pyramidal structure that is a tribute to the union of two worlds and to those who contributed so much to what we know about our planet. On its interior is found the Center of the World Ethnographic Museum, built between 1979 and 1982, where the different cultures of the Ecuadorian ethnic groups are shown. The beautiful local handcrafts decorate the surroundings and the whole place is framed by wonderful Andean landscapes.

Nowadays, if you check on the coordinates given by a GPS system, you will realize the French geodesic mission failed to locate the center by a very small difference, marking it on the 0° 00' 08,10" point, only 239.5m (785.7ft) to the south from the 0°00’0,0’’ point. This showed the impressive accuracy of the geodesics of those times, given the fact that they couldn’t use any of the devices that the modern technology has, which actually have the universal metric system they created as their own base.

The Center of the World City is definitely a place worth visiting. It is a place that keeps the secrets of the story of one of the world’s most transcendental events where visitors can experience the nice feeling of walking right at the line that marks the middle of the world.

Zaruma: Mixing Antiquity with Nature in the South Coast of Ecuador

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Zaruma is a charming town located in the south coast of Ecuador, 1200 m (3937ft) above the sea level, in the province of El Oro. It is surrounded by various great mountains, waterfalls and forests that will make you have unforgettable experiences doing one of the various ecological adventure activities available in the area. Zaruma means “corncob” in Quechua. With its colorful wooden houses of the 19th century and its quiet streets where joyful and peaceful people live, this place is definitely worth visiting.
Here is a rough guide to the most amazing spots to visit while at Zaruma:

1.    El Calvario: It is a hill located 1500m (4921ft) above the sea level and approximately 1km (0.6mi) away from the city of Zaruma. Its peak is an excellent viewpoint from which you can appreciate the splendorous landscape of the surroundings.

2.    Zaruma Urcu: Located 14km (8.6mi) to the northeast of the city, this hill stands out because many orchids are cultivated on its hillsides. There, you can find 300 out of the about 4250 orchid species existing in Ecuador.

3.    Chivaturco: 90 minutes away from Zaruma is found this hill. On the way to its peak, you will find a great variety of avifauna next to the crystalline waters of the 100m (328ft) high Chorro Blanco Waterfall, which falls directly into a river surrounded by exuberant vegetation. Following the track to the peak, you will also see the archaeological remains of an ancient civilization that once was settled in the area. When you finally get to the peak, you will be able to enjoy the most amazing, hidden landscapes.

4.    Huayquichuma Forest: Located 8km away from the city, this 80 hectares wide forest is home of a great amount of flora and fauna with little brooks made by the condensation of the thick fog of the place. If you have seen and loved the majestic Chorro Blanco Waterfall, then you will also enjoy visiting the Pingllo Waterfall, with a height of 80 meters making an impressive and relaxing fall complemented by the beautiful surroundings.

Going to Zaruma is mixing antiquity with nature. This is a city that makes you fall in love and teaches you to enjoy the simple, natural things of life. Zaruma is undoubtedly the ultimate paradise in the south, certainly a visit you can’t miss!

Photo: Rinaldo W.

Find Out Why these Ecuadorians have got the Attention of the Whole World

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Otavalo is a city beloved by its people and known by them as “llakta”, which means “town” in their mother language. The people from this city are a vivid example of coexistence and adaptation to the modern world. They are people eager to show how much they are worth through their values, their love for nature, their craftsmanship skills and simply their excellence and versatility in all senses: qualities that have spread their fame to the whole world.

The main aspect of these people’s lives follows very simple rules: to respect Mother Nature, to use the natural resources in a rational way, to encourage the community’s development and to be joyful and committed to their responsibilities. These simple guidelines had made the people from Otavalo be great farmers, painters, musicians, weavers, polyglots and merchants not only in Ecuador, but all around the world, getting the fame of being impressive, multifaceted and certainly successful people that have set an example of development and organization for societies.

This way, with no other help except for their own ability to organize, they have created the South America’s largest and most colorful textile and handcraft indigenous market, making the city if Otavalo get the attention of the whole world. At present, their textiles and handcrafts are exported to places such as Australia, Italy and Spain, as well as some Middle Eastern countries.

Otavalo’s fame is not only due to the products they export. The artists from this town thought their music would also be liked by people from other countries. With no hesitation, they have managed to travel to countries like the US, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, where their excellent live Andean music is still enjoyed by many fans.

The culture of this town is a culture that has profited from its ancestral knowledge. The people from Otavalo has always believed in it and worked to make it richer and to move forward. Some of the locals are nowadays cosmopolitan people, but they keep on being themselves. They keep on expressing the art, the culture and the values that have given them their strong identity and that bond them to their hometown: their beloved and yearned for Llakta.

Photo: Rinaldo W.

The Panecillo: A Silent Witness of Quito through History

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The Panecillo hill is Quito’s most representative natural formation. Located inside the historical downtown of the city at an altitude of 3000m (9842ft) above the sea level and a height of 200m (656ft), the Panecillo (meaning “Little bread”) is a historical hill that holds on its peak one of Quito’s largest work of art: the beloved Virgin of Quito, that can be seen from almost any corner of the city. This hill is a silent witness of the city’s history of development, destructions, conquests, wars, building and rebuilding.

This hill was already an important spot since the year 1400. Its sides were inhabited by the Quitus indigenes, who called it “Shungoloma”, that means “Hill of the heart” in their native tongue. It was the place of worship to their main god: the Sun, also known as “Yavirac” or “Inti”.

Later on, in the year 1500, the Panecillo hill witnessed the defeat and conquest of the Quitus by the Incas, who kept considering it important. On its peak, the Incas made a very important structure that can still be appreciated nowadays: the “Olla del Panecillo”. It is believed that this large rock container was initially a storage room for seeds –especially corn seeds– and that afterwards it became a water reservoir for irrigating the crop fields that used to be there in those times. Years later, a part of the structure was destroyed by Rumiñahui, the royal warrior of the Incan empire, when he found out about the advance of the Spanish conquistadors.

In 1534, the Panecillo saw the first white men when the conquistadores from Spain finally arrived to the city. They were less in numbers, but their weapons and their greed were superior to those of the Incas, so they defeated them and got established in the sides of the hill. When the Spaniards saw the hill from far away, they realized it had the shape of a little bread, and that is how the “Shungoloma” got its current name of “Panecillo”.

Due to its location, the hill was used by the Spaniards as a strategic military spot; and the “Olla del Panecillo” (which also got its name from them) served to collect rainwater that later got used for the irrigation of the gardens of new Colonial Era. Finally, after years of colonization, on May 24th 1822 the Panecillo proudly observed the liberation battle of Pichincha and the progressive defeat of the Spanish Colonial troops.
More recently, in the year 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras made at the top of the hill an impressive large structure called “The Virgin of Quito” or “The Virgin of Legarda”: a work made of 7000 pieces of aluminum, the largest of its kind ever made. The sculpture is a replica of the Immaculate Virgin made by the Ecuadorean artist Bernardo de Legarda, which can be observed in the high altar of the San Francisco Church.

Nowadays, the Panecillo can be visited up to its peak to admire the Virgin of Quito and see the Olla del Panecillo. When standing at the top, a look to the impressive landscape of the city will make you understand the love and veneration this natural formation has been subject of by the local people over the centuries.

Photo: ADN Montalvo

Business traveling to Guayaquil for a short period?

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Usually, traveling businessmen have only a day or two to close a deal, make a sell or talk with some supplier. They are actually eager to get to know the city, but they have very little time to do it. Visiting Guayaquil as a business destination is something hundreds of tourists do, so we have made a guide for those willing to make the most of their visit by going to the touristic attractions which are closer to downtown Guayaquil:

1.    The Centenario Park: This park is one of the city’s biggest parks, and many historical monuments with justice and freedom as themes are found on it.

2.    The Local Museum: Created in 1908, this museum houses 10 000 years of history of Guayaquil, with 12 000 pieces of archaeological and anthropological value. The museum shows the story of the city chronologically, from the pre-Columbian era to the modern Guayaquil.

3.    The Seminario Park: This park got its name from the person who enclosed it with a wrought iron fence, giving it its late 20th Century style. Nowadays, it is known as the Iguana Park, since there are a lot of these animals living in there that come down from the trees to get some sunlight and interact with the visitors.

4.    The House of Culture Museum: This museum has two exhibition halls that show a great collection of pre-Colonial gold and silver works.

5.    The Historical Park: Even though this park is not located inside downtown Guayaquil, it is a place worth visiting. It is two hectares large, and it has three different areas: the wildlife zone, with a variety of fauna living in their natural environment; the urban landscape from the ancient Guayaquil; and the joyful traditional area, that shows the customs of the Ecuadorian coastal region’s inhabitants.

6.    The Simón Bolívar Seafront: Extending all along the Guayas river, the seafront has three different sections: A large shopping center with a variety of shops and cozy restaurants; a park that binds you to nature with its old trees and bushes, birds and fish species typical of the Guayaquil region that make up a peaceful and relaxing place. The third section is the cultural one, with anthropological museums and cinema halls featuring national and international films with educational themes.

7.    The Del Carmen Hill: This hill is located just beside the Simón Bolívar seafront. Its landscape is made of many little houses and the local inhabitants, always in colorful clothing. A stair of 444 steps takes you to the peak of the hill, from which you can have a panoramic view of the city.

All of these attractions will provide the business traveler a historical and contemporary vision of Guayaquil fast but thoroughly. By the end of the day the “passing-by” visitors will feel that Guayaquil was not just another sporadic meeting point for business, but a short yet pleasant stay.

Photo: Columbus GV Team