After getting my fill of butterflies at Las Mariposas, we returned to the car.  A few minutes later Luis pulled into a fog-shrouded parking lot and told me we were at the volcano.  He didn’t argue when I said I didn’t want to  (while shaking my head vigorously and saying no voy, no voy – I don’t go, or something like that) walk through the fog to a sign pointing out the volcano which couldn’t be seen, and back in the car we got.   May have been a mistake, but it was my mistake, and I’ll own it.  By this time we’d been in the car for five hours, and if you think it’s not tiring to try to converse with someone who speaks no English when you speak such a small amount of intelligible Spanish, try it sometime.  I was exhausted!

Anyway, on our way back down from the rainforest we had almost reached Mitad del Mundo when Luis abruptly slowed down and pointed out the Temple of the Sun to our left.  We must have passed it on the way up, but it is so close to the road that it couldn’t be seen.  I mean it was so close to the road it was almost on the road, and seemed to be nothing but stairs.   I bet I’m the only turista that Luis has ever had in his car who was too tired to stop at this Aztec.  I decided that I could stop another time, as if I’d be in Ecuador for several years and could just take a jaunt up there another time when my knees and back were magically able to manage the stairs.  Must be the altitude.  Maybe I can take a trip up there when I return to Ecuador to fly home.

So the next stop we made, Luis wasn’t taking any excuses.  He pulled into an impossibly tiny parking lot and got out of the car.  I meekly (yeah, right) followed.  We were finally at the museum of the Middle of the World – Mitad del Mundo.  Immediately upon entering, we were in another world of thatched huts and – I don’t know what else to call them – totem poles.  We stopped at several exhibits.  The one which held a few surprises for me was the one explaining the process of making shrunken heads.  Who knew that besides enemies, the heads of important people were also shrunk, but at least in those instances the people were already dead.  I felt very reassured when our guide explained that the practice stopped in 1980.  Let me say that again.  It stopped in 1980.

We saw several blow pipes and spears – one kind used for killing animals, the other people.  The people spears were serrated at the middle of the sharp edge, plus being tipped with poison, ensuring a painful death.  The thing that most struck me about the blow pipes was how long and how heavy they were.

The room we were in was fairly large, although even I had to stoop in the doorways, so you can imagine the people were rather short.  In all four corners were hammocks which were big enough for three or four people.  Yup, a condominium.  Four families would typically live in a hut this size.

From there we went to a cave where there were mummified remains of a male.  No ritual of mummification, but natural, as it is so dry.  He was inside a small niche in the cave in the fetal position, with all his worldly goods stored with him.  Our guide explained that when the male died, his wife would be fed peyote in an hours long ceremony, and then she would be put in the cave to be asphyxiated when the rock was placed at the opening, sealing it off.  I couldn’t help but think that if that woman died first, her husband would probably just get himself another younger one.  Forget about that business of going to the other world with his mate.

Then finally we were in the part of the open air museum where you get to be in both the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere at the same time.  All I have to say about this is that I cannot believe I am sharing this picture with you, and that I will never wear that bra again. I just hate underwires so much.  I know, I know, TMI.

On to the next stop.  Our guide said he had several tests for us.  We stopped at a station where there was an elevated pillar on the equatorial line with a little ledge on the east and west side.  The guide asked for volunteers, and I bet you can guess who was first.  No matter how hard I tried, though, I could not balance the egg on top of the nail.  One of the men insisted that he could do it, and I was unceremoniously shoved to the side.  Meanwhile, on the other side, another woman was still attempting the feat.

I am happy to say that the cocksure gentleman failed, and another and another took his place.  Meanwhile, the young blonde had long since balanced her egg.  I think every male in our small group tried and failed.

Next we went in pairs and stood in I think the Northern Hemisphere.  I’m sure I have this all mixed up, but it doesn’t matter, because you don’t know, either, do you?  Anyway, one person raised their arms to resist the other pulling down on them.  In the NH, the person would barely have to touch the arms and down they would come.  On the other side, it was a little harder, but still, down came the arms with little resistance.

Then we had the drunk test, which consisted of walking the line of the equator with arms outstretched and eyes closed. I’ll just say all of us would have been arrested.  It can’t be done.

The final “test” was the most fascinating for me, and one I had heard about.   On the equatorial line, a bucket of water was poured into a portable sink.  Then the drain was opened, and brightly colored leaves were added.  The water went straight down, and I do mean straight.  This is the reason – who knew – Ecuador has no typhoons or hurricanes.  Then we moved to the Northern Hemisphere and again the water and leaves were poured in and the water went I think counterclockwise.  Or vice versa.  Over to the Southern Hempisphere and the water went clockwise.  Quite fascinating.

Then up to the tourist shop where our guide tried to convince us to buy hats.  Luis and I snuck away, and that was the end of my adventure, at least until we returned to the hotel, which I like to call la casa de Beatrice, where Beatrice invited me to join her and her sister in a concert to benefit a school for disabled people.  It was wonderful fun, and for the first time since I arrived here, I stayed up until after 7:30 p.m.