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Expedition Skills Seminar - Ecuador: Quito and the Equator

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom | January 02, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Hello from Quito, Ecuador.  The Expedition Skills Seminar - Ecuador has arrived in full, all bags included and is settling in nicely.  Today the group had a busy itinerary starting with a top notch breakfast which of course is the day’s most important meal.  Once fully caffeinated we spent a pleasant hour doing personal introductions and breaking down the week’s objectives.  After our team’s bonding exercises of trust falls and human pyramids in the hotel lobby we put our well being in the hands of our tour operator and ventured into the heart of Quito where traffic can rival the adventurous nature of mountain climbing.  We visited many historic sites including the Presidential Palace, Independence Plaza and multiple churches centuries older than the United States itself. This concluded our history lesson, next was science.  From the old town of Quito we drove 45 minutes north to the “Mitad del Mundo” translated to the middle of the world. Don’t get this confused with middle earth, we saw no hobbits or elves.  What we did experience were the wild supernatural effects of being directly on equator.  Although no one earned their diploma for balancing an egg on a nail, we did see it happen.  Other party tricks include failing a DWI balance test walking the actual line and watching the coriolis effect spin water in opposite directions five feet into each hemisphere.  After the tour we rested, regrouped and went out for a well deserved team dinner.  Everyone is in good health and excited to begin acclimatizing.

RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Casey Grom

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