Jen and I spend just enough time outside to be able to know our norths and souths, easts and wests by the location of the sun, even at midday.  And we have just enough experience to tell what time of day it is, based on the sun.  At least in most places…. 
Hanging out directly at the Equator makes that more difficult.  The north side of the mountain is no longer the shaded side.  And neither is the south side, for that matter.  Mid-day shadows don’t exist like they would at the mid-latitudes.  So, fine, if there is no shadow, then its close to noon, sure.  But what direction is north?  And south? 
Then for an extra level of confusion, try to make sense of the sun dial found just up the main trail from the visitor center at Lake Cuicocha.