Coming soon to your local grocery store

Today, we went to the actual equator.  Remember when I said we were at the equator?  Yeah, well, since the identification of that spot, apparently scientists got a bit more precise and there was a little tectonic shift- the actual middle of the earth was the spot where a giant sundial sits.  On the equinoxes at exactly noon, there is no shadow cast from the post of the sundial.  It’s very interesting to think of it- the sun is so directly overhead that any shadow would aim straight to the base of the object.  The diameter of the sundial’s center post is pretty large, too.  I mean, here we are, standing inside it:

It was kind of neat.  I have been taken aback this whole trip with how nice the temperatures have been.  We are at the very equator, and we’re in a nice, breezy environment.  The sun is shining and the air is a good temperature- it just lacks the regular level of oxygen we’ve come to expect in air.  

From that spot, we went to a rose plantation.  They grow lots and lots of roses in Ecuador.  They apparently can grow very straight stems, owing to the direct, overhead nature of the sunlight.  The rich, volcanic soil plays a pretty heavy role in the process, too.  The place we visited had a whole production floor where flowers were brought in on a zip line-style system, sorted, prepared and packaged for sale in other countries.  Because we’re all from the US, he showed us a crate of packaged dozens of roses headed for Costco stores on the US East coast.  They were right next to the ones heading to Whole Foods locations.  You can probably find Ecuadorian roses in your local grocery store, though I haven’t noticed a nation of origin being listed on any bouquets.  The man who took us around talked about how the production process ramps up leading up to Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and peak wedding season, which he can tell you is June.  I guess in that business, you pay attention. 

The rose plantation was interesting, and they served us lunch in a house on the property that was attached to the church that once belonged to Jesuit priests.  Apparently, the Spaniards got a little cranky with the amount of property and influence the Jesuits had, so at a certain point, the Jesuits were booted from the whole darn country, leaving lots of beautiful things behind.  

We have a farewell dinner with our group tonight.  They sure do feed us on this trip.  And tomorrow morning, we’re taking a gondolas up the side of a volcano to have a look around before heading to a local market and seeing the botanical gardens.  That’s it, too.  That will be all she wrote.  We head out at a very strange time- our flight leaves 40 minutes after midnight, so technically on Sunday, even though we’ll get to the airport late on Saturday.  I am sure there is some logic to this.  I am also sure I don’t know what that logic is, entirely.  Either way, we’ll be home Sunday afternoon and back to our own bed, our own shower and our own flat, less-than-scenic city before you know it.  

In the meantime, of course, have a look at Our Photo Album.