Quito

 On our return to Quito the driver dropped Andrew and Michelle at the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) parking lot for their connection to the airport. Yep that means we were verrry close to the equator (but not yet consciously on it).  Then the driver continued on to deliver us to our rental at Torres de Suites which neighbors and is actually an extension of the JW Marriot. We headed off to the local super market for some goodies for snacks and breakfast in the apartment.

Our city tour included the Old town with multiple impressive churches, a couple we'd already seen and the ‎⁨Basílica del Voto Nacional with impressive decor including many gargoyles⁩ based on the local wildlife including birds (blue footed boobies, frigate birds, pelicans, ...) tapirs, iguanas, turtles, tortoises, coatis, crocodiles, frogs, and wld cats (jaguars, cougars, ...). Continuing the nature theme, the Rose Window is decorated with orchids. The bronze entry doors show different scenes: the life of Jesus life, the Creation, the arrival of Spanish conquerors and the reception by indigenous people with a really cute alpaca (top right of collage).

After continuing to tour the city center, we had lunch at Vista Hermosa (or Beautiful View in English) has some truly great views / vistas over the city. During lunch Argentina defeated France in the World Cup. The city went wild!

Top L-R: La Compañia Church (interior is thoroughly decorated in gold), Doorway to La Compaña Church, Bottom L-R: art by a local artist, Basílica del Voto Nacional in the distance, Lion at base of the Ecuadorian Statue of Liberty, Guadalupe in the lower part of the Nave and her appearance to Don Diego in the upper part.

The tour at Mitad del Mundo starts with a story about native life, including some detail about making shrunken heads.This was followed with some interesting facts and/or pseudo-science about the Equator. For instance,

• For a sundial to work on the Equator it is aligned E to W and sits vertically. For half of the day the north side of the dial displays the shadow (and hence the time) and for half the day the south side displays the shadow. I'd need more time to test this. 
• They also demonstrate that the coriolis effect makes water rotate one way in the Northern Hemisphere (left or anti-clockwise) and the other way in the Southern Hemisphere (right or clockwise). This appears to depend on a trick in the way they set it up. 
• They also say that the Equator is the one place where it is possible to balance an egg on a nail head. I don't know if it can be done elsewhere but one member of our tour group succeeded, so it is possible. No one but her had the patience to try.
• Finally we were asked to walk a straight line putting one foot ahead of the other on the Equator. Oh and with our eyes closed and arms outstretched. It's difficult, impossible? Not sure. Maybe it would help if you were drunk?
  

Maybe these guys took lessons from P. T. Barnum before designing their pitch??? One thing that seems likely...we were at zero latitude according to out phones!

On a morning walk we visited the Quito Botanic Garden. Beautiful with lush and varied plant life from around Ecuador. Without seasons the floral plants bloom nearly continuously. 

Top L-R: Azelea, Bonsai & Pitcher plant, Cactus, Australian bromeliad. Bottom L-R: Tropic Torch bromeliad, orchids

Just across the street was the Mall el Jardin. We had lunch at Bocatto Da Fiorentino (Caesar Salad & Chicken Alfredo Pizza), found a great pastry shop for breakfast foods and evening munchies and then stopped at a super market for some essentials like paté, fruit, and wine.

Next day we went out for Indian lunch at Sher e Punjab and a visit to the Mindalae - Ethnohistoric & Crafts Museum of Ecuador. The museum features traditional arts and crafts of indigenous groups from the Amazon basin, as well as the Andean and coastal communities. On display are native costumes, masks, jewelry and musical instruments, as well as, handwoven basketry and textiles, weapons, hunting tools...

On our way to the Otavalo Market, home to the largest market in all of South America,

we stopped for another encounter with the equator visiting the Solar Museum at Quitsato (Middle of the World in Tsafiqui language of the people from the Ecuadorian coast). This museum focuses on the real science focusing on the geographical, historical, and astronomical background of the Equatorial Andes. It felt more real than the place we visited earlier. Here there is:

• A large sundial 52 meters in diameter, made with a large stone mosaic that indicates the different lines of the solstices and equinoxes, as well as the hours of the day, indicated by the shadow of a 30 foot high pole located in the center.
• A topocentric simulator to demonstrate how the Solstices and Equinoxes work at any latitude in the world. Honestly I don't recall the details but it was fun to play with. Top left below.
• A museum focusing on the 1735 French Geodesic Mission to the Equator to determine the true shape of the Earth by measuring the vast distances between mountaintops in Ecuador.
• An agave garden - The first and only garden specializing in Agaves in South America.

Coincidentally we were there on the winter solstice. We had a unusually great view (typically cloud covered) of Cayambe Volcano, the only place on the Equator that has glaciers.  

We continued on to the Otavalo Market. Honestly it was not impressively large, but then we were not there on Market Day (Saturday). Later we had a fine lunch at Hacienda Pinsaqui as we enjoyed the views of the ponds, palms, and walks of the 200 year-old grounds.

On our final day in Quito we visited the Casa Museo Guayasamin, a museum that features the works and life of Oswaldo Guayasmin. Guayasamin was a renowned Ecuadorian artist very intent on addressing the inequities of the world. His work was influenced by Mexican muralists (José Clemente Orozco, Rufino Tamayo), and the famous Spaniard Pablo Picasso. When Guayasamin realized all of his works were outside of Ecuador, he decided to focus his final years on leaving a legacy in Ecuador. That legacy includes his home, all his possessions and a museum he designed. 

We toured his home and gallery, the grounds and the museum.  We enjoyed his works as well as the artworks he collected. The house and gallery are basically as he left them and includes his final (unfinished) work, a black & white piece.  

Later we were off to Cuenca, roughly a 1 hour flight to the south.