Kim and me

Kim and me

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

I really miss sharing my travel experiences in the travel section of the Deseret News. Since they did away with that section, I no longer have a medium to express my love for traveling and the places I've had the opportunity to explore and experience.

This last week, my wife Kim, my son Logan, and I visited Quito Ecuador. Talk about an amazing place and travel destination. I can honestly express it was one of the best places I've ever been.

On day one we went to Termas de Papallacta Spa which is about a ninety minute drive from Quito. Although not as big as the Tabacon Hot Springs in Costa Rica, Papallacta was really cool. There were several thermal pools with varying temperatures that were awesomely relaxing and therapeutic.
The facilities were clean and the grounds beautiful, again not as plush as Costa Rica but there is a huge difference in elevation and the ability to grow things at the vast difference in altitudes.

And the water was perfect for aches and pains, including Logan's broken foot he sustained at wrestling practice within a week before heading to Ecuador. It was a fantastic experience and shouldn't be missed if traveling to Quito.

On day two, the most amazing of our days, we did something I've wanted to do for more than a decade. I actually planned on taking my daughter Heather to Ecuador that long ago and riding on the horses of the Green Horse Ranch through the dormant crater of Vulcan Pululahua.

We mounted our Ecuadorian bread horses, and with our fabulous guide Sarah, went on a ride that will never be forgotten.
Since the ranch is located on the equator, actually termed middle earth, all the horses are named after Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. This picture is of me and my mount Samwise. (He was really shy about letting me take the selfie.
This picture is not perfectly clear but you can see how he was leaning away from me and the camera.

On the ride we experienced everything from different eco-systems to sunshine and fog. The rain started right at the end of the ride as the horses were being take care of. The entire ride was amazing. There is nothing like riding horses through the crater of a volcano. I really wish I had been able to pull this trip off earlier for Heather but eventually she got married. I am grateful Logan and Kim were there to experience it with me.


Thank you Sarah for an incredible day and good luck in your adventures! Also thanks to Astrid, the owner of the ranch, for working with our uncertain travel schedule as standby travelers. Also thank you to Sam (Nitrus), Gimly, and Mithril.


Day 3 was spent on a fantastic organized tour to Otavalo by Quito Bus Tours. This trip included stops at the Quitsato solar clock, Penuche Waterfall, a cruise on Cuicoha Lake, and the market at Otavalo.

The Quitsato solar clock was really interesting. The guides there gave us a whole different perspective on how the world should be mapped, with the equator running north and south. Here we could actually stand in both hemispheres at the same time while surrounded by active volcanoes. (no eruptions while we were there though thankfully)


Penuche Waterfall was a short walk/hike through some beautiful surrounding but a little difficult for Logan on his broke foot. He managed like a trooper and we enjoyed the falls a lot. The one thing I didn't appreciate was all the bites I got on my lower legs by some small bugs that believed me to be their next meal. I'm still itching 4 days later.
The Quitsato Market was cool and also where we stopped for lunch for two hours and shopping. It was fun to see the indigenous market, the largest in South America as well as to eat authentic Ecuadorian food in a number of possible surrounding restaurants.

The boat ride around the Cuicocha crater lake was pretty fascinating. The volcano is still active and you can see bubbles coming to the surface which prove it. I don't think I have the words in my vocabulary that would come close to explaining how beautiful and magical it was. Actually, looking around the lake for me was spiritual. Hopefully some of my photos will do a better job of displaying how I actually felt while there or maybe it wasn't the scenery but something more unexplainable. God does exist!










Ecuador is an amazing land! There are over 40 volcanos and 30 of them on the mainland. Several of them active and there are daily earthquakes. It is truly beautiful and awe inspiring to be there.

Day 4 was spent with us just traveling around Quito on the hop on - hop off tour provided by Quito Bus Tours and a taxi or two.

We were able to visit Teleferico which is a cable car that takes you way up on a mountain, providing beautiful views of Quito below.



We also saw the Basilica del voto Nacional, an amazing gothic inspired church that looks a lot like Notre Dame in Paris. Kim was fascinated the gargoyles on the church were actually animals from the Galapagos Islands.



We were also able to see the statue of the Virgin Mary of Quito which provided even more spectacular views of Quito.


We also were allowed into the an old Jesuit Church known as Compania De Jesus which had an incredible display of gold throughout.


















Wednesday, October 4, 2017

This fantastic picture was taken during World War II in Elisabethville, France. Two things are going on in the picture of great importance. First, Sgt. James Weldon Mellody has just been captured by six German soldiers and is being marched through the town square to be questioned. He ended up spending almost a year in a prisoner of war camp in Poland. Second, Robert Mourand, a Frenchman, is saluting the captured American who had just parachuted into a tree after his B-26. This picture is the basis of my next book; one I've been working on for 4 years up to this point. The good news is I'm half way through with my first re-write with the goal of having it ready by the end of the year for my editor. I'm really stoked for this story and the opportunity for me to write it. Thank to James for letting me know about his grandfather's story and also thanks to Philippe for letting me know about his grandfather. Please check back often for more updates about this story and my other books, both written and still in my head.   Chris A Hale.