Helen demonstrates some Equator magic
We are in Ecuador. Just after we crossed the border into Ecuador we arrived at the Equator. The equator is the bit of the earth that divides the north of the world from the south of the world.
It’s like magic at the equator. We went to a special museum there today and found out we can balance an egg on its end right on top of the head of a nail.
At the equator water goes straight down the plughole – check it out at home, water normally swirls round and round as it goes down the plughole.
The ancient tribes who lived in this area over two thousand years ago recognised this part of the world as special. They noticed that there was hardly any wind. They noticed that the sun always rises at 6.00 in the morning and sets at 6.00 in the evening. They worked out that this place is at the middle of the earth and they named it Quito. Quito means ‘middle earth’. Quito is still the name of the capital city of Ecuador.
The descendents of those tribes still live in the forests in these areas. They still hunt and fish for their food. And some of them still practice the art of shrinking heads!!
