Intiñan Museum at the Equator in Ecuador

On March 31, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn South America5 Comments

One of the things that we really enjoyed during our visit to Quito, Ecuador, was going to the true equator and participating in several experiments at the Intiñan Museum. The museum itself is dedicated to the history of Ecuador with several exhibits about the cultures of the people of the Amazon. Although there are several exhibits regarding the people, animals, and plants of the jungle, the main attraction of the museum are the various science experiments that are a hands on experience for those that visit the museum.

Your tour will start out with several huts that feature everything from shrunken heads to pottery. You will also find a variety of flowers and plants that can be used for medicinal purposes and are quite beautiful as well. There are representations of daily life as well as a variety of artwork. The cultural exhibits only take about twenty minutes to see and are really just a lead up to the fun of actually doing experiments.

The first experiment was to close your eyes and walk along the equator line. Oddly enough, everyone found it hard to keep their balance and walk a straight line. We were told that it was because of the conflicting pulls from the northern and southern hemispheres causing you to want to lean one direction or the other.

Next we watched as water was poured into a sink in each of the hemispheres and, although there are ways to make it swirl the way that you want, when nature is left to its own design it swirls in different directions. The same is true of hurricanes and typhoons where in the northern hemisphere things spin counterclockwise while in the southern hemisphere they spin clockwise. Water going down a drain does the same thing, counterclockwise north of the equator and clockwise south of the equator.

After that there was an experiment that we’re not completely sure if it works or why it works, but our guide had us push up on his hands while we weren’t on the equator and we were able to force his hands upward. Then we moved to the equator line and he used a single finger and was able to keep us from pushing his hand upward.

The final experiment was to balance a raw egg on a nail on the equator line, which isn’t easy, but a few people were able to succeed. Definitely not something that you can do at home, unless you happen to live on the equator. All of them were very interesting and it was a truly enjoyable experience. It is certainly worth taking the time to go to Intiñan Museum if you are visiting Quito, Ecuador.

The COPE Visitor Center in Vientiane, Laos

On March 19, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Laos2 Comments

During our trip to Vientiane we visited the COPE Visitor Center, which is partly a museum, but also provides insight into the work that COPE does in Laos. Visiting the center wasn’t on our original itinerary, but we ended up with enough time during our tour of the city to fit it in. The country of Laos has many unexploded cluster bombs (referred to as bombies) from the Vietnam war that are still causing injuries throughout the country. COPE is an organization that is attempting to find and defuse all of the bombs as well as provide medical attention and supplies to those that get injured.

Household Items Made from Bomb Materials

An actual cluster bomb is a large bomb shell that opens up as it nears the ground and disperses hundreds of tiny bombs that are about the shape and size of a baseball. Many of them are buried in the ground and farmers come across them when plowing their fields. Sometimes they are above ground and children pick them up and play with them. When you first enter the center, you are directed to a room to view a movie on how the millions of bombs came to litter the entire country. After watching the movie, we walked through the exhibits, which can be quite sobering and somber.

Pictures of Bombs That Have Been Collected

Artificial Legs Hanging from the Ceiling

Going through the COPE Visitor Center is certainly an experience that will impact you in a powerful way. Although it is an important message, the images can be quite disturbing, so families with children should take that into consideration before visiting the center. Overall, visiting the center takes about an hour or less with most of the time spent watching the film.

The Louvre in Paris, France – An Art Lovers Paradise

On October 28, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France4 Comments

We are not art aficionados, but we do really enjoy and appreciate art. Needless to say, one should not go to Paris without visiting the Louvre. It is definitely a museum that you could visit a hundred times and always see and find something new. Of course there is the Mona Lisa, which draws huge lines to see, but there is so much more. Paintings, statues, and other works of art from all of the masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Giovanni Bellini, and Rembrandt, just to name a few.

Obviously, art museums should be visited whenever you go to any major city, they contain a rich heritage of our human existence. In some ways, looking at art is like drinking wine. It isn’t about who the artist is, what the subject is, whether it is traditional, modern, abstract, or how critically acclaimed a piece may be. What matters is in the eye of the beholder. As they say, drink a wine that you like, not one that is expensive or is “supposed” to go with a specific food, so should you treat your art experience, find what you like and devour that. Art should move you on the inside and the best art pieces will leave a lasting impression on your soul.

Take time to take a look at the architecture of the Louvre. It is a former palace, before Louis XIV moved to the Palace of Versailles, and the buildings themselves are exquisite. If you’ve seen the movie, the Da Vinci Code, you’re very familiar with the Louvre Pyramid. It certainly stands in stark contrast to the Louvre itself with its modern feel, but we didn’t find it to be “a scar on the face of Paris”, but again, we’re not Parisian. It is part of the whole experience, so take time to stand in the courtyard and enjoy the grandeur of it all.

If you are an art scholar, student, art enthusiast, or simply someone who likes art, the Louvre is a must to visit. If you have the time, sit in front of the paintings, absorb them, take in the details, just don’t rush off to the next one on the list. For that matter, take the list of art with you so that you can be sure to see some of the more famous pieces, but don’t use that as your guide. Stop and look at artwork that grabs your attention, that speaks to you, don’t let others decide for you which pieces you should see. Someday soon we’ll be back to Paris, it is one of, if not the, favorite city we’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy and the Louvre will be part of our return trip.