07 June 2010

Journey To The Centre Of The Earth

NOT many children can claim to have spent their fourth birthday inside a volcano and at the centre of the earth. But that’s what Zenchai did.
 

P1010085 We stayed at the El Crater Hotel, perched on the edge of a volcano near Pululahua. The views on a clear day are fantastic. The walk into the base of the crater is easy enough going downhill, but arduous coming up, especially because of the high altitude (we didn’t do it, but saw many people huffing and puffing their way up).

P1010053 Getting to the hotel was relatively easy – a short cab ride – from the Mitad del Mundo (Centre of the Earth), where we’d visited the monument to mark the spot (even though it’s about 100 metres from the precise location) and two museums – one inside the monument and another a short walk down the road.

The outdoor, interactive museum is more interesting and fun, especially to children. We made a day of it.

P1010064 The best way to get to Mitad Del Mundo by public transport is to take a taxi to the Condado Shopping Mall. From there buses depart frequently for the Centre of the Earth. It takes about half an hour.

P1010069 While it was sunny most of the day, the clouds moved in later. Weather can change dramatically. By the time we reached our hotel, fog was so dense we couldn’t see the building from about 20 feet!

I reckon we were the only residents. The hotel and restaurant next door was deserted. Even though the hotel is pricey, even by Western standards, this was a special occasion. We splashed out a bit, probably for the first time since we arrived in Ecuador.

P1010114  The restaurant, while beautiful and elegant, was a letdown. The food didn’t quite hit the mark and was quite expensive. However, it was an experience well worth having.

Although we woke up the next morning with the fog not having shifted and thinking we were never going to get to see the inside of the crater, within hours it disappeared and everywhere was bathed in sunshine.

Interestingly, as we were by ourselves, Zenchai didn’t get many presents. We’d given him a small plastic jeep – admittedly cheep – that he’d had his eyes on in Cuenca. But he was more than happy.

It just goes to show that it’s not the cost or size of a present that matters.

Claude Abrams
By Claude Abrams
7 Jun 2010 19:12:36 | Bus travel, Children's Activities, Ecuador, Food and Drink, Hotels/Hostals, Quito, Ecuador, Restaurants, Taxis, Travel Tip, Travelling with Children, Zenchai

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