Overlanding the Middle of the World
Overlanding the Middle of the World
Overlanding the Middle of the World
Sometimes we measure the distance of our journey by the number of border crossings we’ve made.
Other times, by how many months we’ve been on the road. But nothing compares to the magic of crossing an invisible line and suddenly finding ourselves in an entirely different world. In Ecuador, that line brought us to the Middle of the World.
This was our 10th border crossing, and Ecuador wasted no time telling its story. As we drove along wide, empty, perfectly paved multi-lane roads, massive peaks and sprawling valleys unfolded before us. Volcanoes pierced the sky, cloud forests hugged the hills, and the Amazon stretched endlessly beyond. This small country carried a vastness that felt almost impossible—a place where one day we trekked through the chilly, high-altitude páramo filled with grazing vicuñas, and the next we were enveloped in lush, humid jungle alive with birdsong.
“Plain as Big as the Sky”
Town names translated to phrases like “Plain as Big as the Sky” and “The Middle of the World,” and from some places, both the northern and southern night skies revealed themselves in one sweep of stars. Everything here felt expansive—not just the landscapes, but the way they opened something inside us. Our hearts, lungs, and minds seemed to stretch wider with every mile.
And maybe that’s the gift of the Middle of the World. From the very center, perspective comes a little easier. Space feels infinite, vision feels clearer, and for a moment, you can almost believe the world has no edges at all.
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