I 
On our drive to the Middle of the World, we stopped at the Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua for a short hike to view the caldera (crater) of the Pululuhua Volcano. Unlike many volcanoes, there is no cone-shaped mountain but rather several lava domes. It is also the only active crater (in Ecuador) with a permanent population living inside. The volcano was thought to be dormant until scientists detected hydrothermal activity in 2012. It is now consider it to be a potentially active volcano.
We continued onto the latitude 0°0’0” aka the Middle of the World. The Middle of the World is where the longitude and latitude meet at 0 degrees and divides the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. We visited both the “true” equator and the “official” equatorial monument. GPS testing results are mixed because of the rocky surroundings. Our first stop was the “true” equator at the Intiñan Solar Museum. The museum tour was entertaining and informative. We learned about Ecuadorean culture, saw shrunken heads, and did several equator-related science experiments on the equator line.
A quick drive took us to the “official” monument in the Cuidad Mitad del Mundo. There is a museum (under construction), numerous cafes and shops in the small village surrounding the monument. We watched a group of children dance in the center plaza.
