I closed my eyes for a couple of minutes. All I could hear was the sound of the water flowing in the river. I was at a higher plane of tranquility, under a spell. The city noise was gone and this time it wasn’t my sleep machine or my YouTube audios for meditation. 

It was real, and as soon I approached the mountains, the sound became more intense, as much as the birds tweeting while they were escorting me in this hiking. What a charming moment! 

My friend and I were alone in the middle of this fascinating environment surrounded by big, red sandstones canyons and creeks. While our way narrowed, the view was becoming more stunning without the sun incandescence. It’s was the best time to recharge those energies. 

This incredible connection with mother nature happened in Kanarra falls, near the Zion National Park, in Utah (Western US). The State is well known for its amazing rock formations resembling the surface of Mars. 

How to get there? 

Kanarra Falls is becoming the new place for adventure seekers because of its short paths, the similarity with Antelope Canyon plus a creek, and the gorgeous and thoroughly photographed waterfalls. It’s the perfect route to add to your itinerary inside Utah National Parks. 

November was ending, and my friend and I were driving cross-country from Los Angeles to New York City. That day, we left Las Vegas at 5am. After 2 hours and a half driving, we made a quick stop in Kanarra Falls, and without planning, took this adventure. And why not? 

Driving from Las Vegas is one of the options to get there. Driving from Salt Lake City takes 4 hours and a half. But the easiest option is staying in St. George (1 hour away) or Cedar City, being the closest towns (15 minutes). 

What to pack?  

Waterproof shoes or waterproof hiking boots with wool socks are highly recommended. Especially in Fall and Spring when the water is frozen, and the last point of the route is through the creek. 

I decided to take this trip on a whim, without considering my outfit. Big mistake! My friend had the proper shoes. Instead, I wore white sneakers (that ended up all muddy.) and as much as I grabbed the riverbanks or skipped from rock to rock, at some points there wasn’t any other option than to cross through the cold river at some spots.  

In any case, the water never got deeper than the ankle height until the first waterfall.

Also, it’s important to pack a drybag, a water bottle, and sunblock. The trekking poles are optional for balance. 
 

The trail  

Kanarra Falls is a moderate and short walk. Ideal for families. It takes 2 hours –out and back- until the first waterfall (the one with best view) and up to 3 hours to the third one.  

The first part of the trail is flat, then with a little bit of climbing and some jumping between rocks. There are not trail signs but, it’s not complicated to see and follow the path. 

Once we entered the Slot canyon, it just took my breath away. The dramatic natural carvings, the rich and striking colors, as well as the marvelous light beams bouncing and reflecting off the towering stone walls were mesmerizing. 

Inside the canyon, the waterfall, a metal ladder, and a tree trunk were the perfect frame for our first stop in Kanarra Falls. This was my Instagram’s moment. After the climb, comes the way to the other two waterfalls. 

Once again, my inadequate shoes didn’t allow me to go forward. The ladder was too slippery, and the rope was deteriorated, so I didn’t want to take the risk of falling. Lesson learned!  

Nevertheless, I took some time to enjoy, connect and appreciate as much as I could from this amazing sight while my friend went forward first.  

Quick facts:    

·    The ticket cost 12 USD per person with parking included.  

·    Only 150 persons are allowed to enter per day. I recommended you to buy it before on their website www.kanarrafalls.com  

·    Pets are not allowed on the trail and it’s also not intended for kids under 6 years old. 

·    The best seasons are the Spring and Fall.   

·    There is a restroom just a bit after the trail begins, and at the parking lot. 

It’s Love at first sight. This is how I would describe Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. One of the most romantic and stunning cities in Europe, and known for its large castle and the narrowest street in the world.  

Its towers, gothic churches, baroque edifications, red roof tops and labyrinth of alleyways will immerse you in its medieval history. Other spaces bring back the bitter memories of the World Wars, the Nazi invasion and Communism.  

Prague is a city that can be known by walking, as its streets are an open museum, but it may take you at least 4 days to get to know it better. Here’s my advice for a weekend visit. Do comply with the proper precautions related to covid19 restrictions.  

1.- Observe the Astronomical Clock’s show   

The skeleton pulls the rope, the figures that are allegorical to the vices move along, the 12 apostles appear by the little windows and finally the rooster sings. Hundreds of tourists crowded every change of hour to take part in the most amazing show in Prague.  

This has to be your first stop. The clock is on the square of the old city (Staré Mésto area) and it’s been working for more than 600 years. Wow! It can display the time, date, position of celestial bodies and astronomical cycles. Impossible not to shoot a video.  

2.- Climb to the Old Town Hall Tower   

The best postcards of the medieval city are undoubtedly from the Old Town Hall Tower, above the Astronomical Clock.  

It’s 70 meters high (229 feet) and from the top you can see the churches and castles that adorn the city. Its price is 10 USD (250 Czech Koruna, they do not use the Euro).  

3.- Visit the Church of Our Lady Tyn  

One of the most emblematic gothic monuments in Prague. It’s also its oldest church. Finding the entrance is a bit complicated because it has no facade. The entrance is from a side alley. It’s free of charge, but they ask for a voluntary contribution.  

4.- Know the Powder Tower  

It was the gateway to the old city (13 in total), and as its name indicate, it was where the gunpowder was stored during the 18th century. In the upper area of the tower there is an outdoor terrace. From there, you get great views of the district.  

5.- Crossing the Charles Bridge  

The best-known areas of Prague are Staré Mésto (old town) and Malá Strana (the new city). The two are connected by the crowded Charles Bridge.  

This iconic bridge was built by King Charles IV. Its allure is undeniable: you’ll be surrounded by street artists, who play romantic melodies or sell their paintings. It’s so charming that it makes you want to cross over again and again. Yes, I’m cheesy! The best time is at night, but it’s also worth getting up early and enjoy the place without all the tourists.  

6.- Touch the dog of Saint John of Nepomuk for good luck  

The Charles Bridge has 30 religious’ sculptures, but they aren’t the originals. Although, the one that visitors are most interested is Saint John of Nepomuk and his dog.  

Legend says that the saint was the queen’s confessor. The king, who distrusted his wife, asked Nepomuk about her infidelities and because he didn’t want to reveal the true, his tongue was cut off and he was thrown into the Vltava River from the bridge.  

The popular tale says that if you place your left hand on the dog figure (a symbol of fidelity) and make a wish, it will be granted.  

7.- Walk around the Malá Strana area  

Across the bridge and the old city is the Malá Strana area. Its vibe is more youthful because it’s surrounded by bars, restaurants, galleries, bookstores and shops. Without leaving aside the castle and its churches.  

You can find also the Petrín Tower, a small imitation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but with the best panoramic view of Prague; the museum of the writer Franz Kafka, and in a few steps, you can’t miss the narrowest street, where a traffic light will tell you whether or not you can walk.  

8.- Explore the Prague Castle  

It’s the largest in the world, but it isn’t only a castle. It’s an architectural ensemble that also includes palaces, towers, the gothic church of San Vito and the golden lane (the old neighborhood of goldsmiths and where the novelist Kafka lived).  

The castle has endured invasions, fires and wars. It was a Nazi headquarter in World War II and later on, the Soviet offices of the communist government operated from there. Now is the official residence of the President.  

You probably need to be in good physical condition to climb the hill and the cobbled stands where the circuit begins. But when you go down the steps, there are places to sip a hot wine or beer with a spectacular view. From its downstairs, the metro station is nearby.  

9.- Take a picture on John Lennon’s wall  

Whether you’re a Beatles fan or not, this is an important stop as it’s the symbol for freedom of speech in Prague. And, why not! You get to listen to some of the songs of the band interpreted by street artists.   

It became part of Prague history when John Lennon was murdered in New York in 1980. As part of the world’s tributes, his portrait appeared surrounded by phrases against the communist regime that dominated the Czech Republic that decade. Although the communist authorities continually painted the wall white, they portrayed it repeatedly along with new messages.  

10.- Make the route through the David Černý art   

The antithesis of the monumental and historic Prague is made up of the peculiar and controversial sculptures of the Czech artist, David Černý. It’s worth appreciating some of his crazy works, created with a tone of social protest.  

In Malá Strana and in front of the Kafka museum entrance, you will be surprised by two moving figures who urinate on a pond shaped like the Czech Republic. Returning to the old city, on Husava St, you will have to look well at the sculpture that appears hanging from a beam (Sigmund Freud).  

A few steps away, the most sought-after piece by tourists. His great work called Metamorphosis, which is the moving steel head of the writer Kafka on an 11-meter (36 feet) scale  

Walking towards Wenceslas Square and hidden in one of its buildings is the sculpture of St. Wenceslas, who is the saint and symbol of Czech identity. This figure’s version shows his horse face down, dead and with the tongue sticking out.  

11.- Photograph the Dancing House  

If you continue to look for artistic, modern, and out-of-the-ordinary works there is another stop: The Dancing House. A couple of Hollywood dancers inspired this construction, which was initially criticized for its style -nothing linear. Now it’s another icon of the city and you can even climb to the terrace bar and have a drink with the view of the Vltava River.  

12.- Try Trdelník, Goulash and craft beers  

On every corner of Prague, especially in the old city, you can see locals baking some rolls and then filling them with ice cream. Yummy! It’s the Trdelniks and even if it’s a kilo of sugar you can’t pass the opportunity to try them.  

Goulsah is another typical dish, consisting of stewed meat with spices. The taste is quite strong. It’s served with bread or potatoes. The tradition is to have it with a black beer.  

And if it’s about beers, the Czechs are known to consume more beer than anywhere else around the world. There are 30 breweries only in Prague. The Pilsner Urquell is one of the well-known.  

Before the pandemic, tours of breweries that have been in place for more than a century were organized and, of course, tours of the bars. If you are going by this time is better to check on the official websites so you’re aware of what is open.   

To note:  

Holidays, travel, sightseeing, expeditions, tours, cruises… these the are words that in the times of the pandemic have been taken away from our vocabulary.  Even thinking about them causes frustration, because all those plans to visit another country fell apart during 2020.  

Definitely, in Covid19 times, traveling is not the recommended choice and staying at home is the best guarantee to protect yourself.  

But there are those who spend hours (myself included) checking the cheap flights, hotels with ridiculous low prices and restrictions from each country. And we want to overcome the fear by taking “that” risk. At the same time, there is a business somewhere that needs tourism to survive in the midst of the crisis.  

That’s how in July I arrived at the Riviera Maya in Mexico. After researching what were the safest sites and what protective measures should be taken, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Holbox were the best places to choose from. Days earlier, the area had received the International Seal ‘Safe Travel’, which is awarded by the World Travel & Tourism Council, for complying with high standards of protection.  

The area reopened since June, and until September 6th, has been working with a capacity of 30% to 50% (phase 1), so an agglomeration was unlikely. Its beaches were closed, except Holbox, so I looked for entertainment options with the least danger of contagion.  

THE DESOLATE AIRPORTS

We are told repeatedly that the airports are the most insecure places. From my personal experience, it didn’t feel that way. I was stunned as I entered an empty Terminal 4 of John F Kennedy in New York. It was shocking to see it so quiet.  

Checking in online, having carry-on baggage and keeping the ticket on my cell phone helped me avoid the line at the airline counter. At the security gate, officers as well as passengers were required to wear masks. No one comes near you unless the security scanner detects metal and there are wipes in every corner.  

I traveled with Delta airlines. On my flight, 1 or 2 people were seated per line. The crew gave me hands sanitizer when I was boarding, and later, when I got a plastic bag with water and snacks.  

Almost 4 hours with the mask is challenging, but the flight attendants checked regularly to verify that we didn’t take them off. Their key suggestion: wash your hands frequently. 

When I arrived at the Cancun airport, I observed that there were social distance guidelines in place, and everything looked disinfected. On my way back to US, I had to fill out an online form where I confirmed that I had no symptoms and I had not been in contact with an infected person to the best of my knowledge.   

HOLBOX

My first destination was Holbox Island. For this trip, I decided to rent a car to the port of Chiquilá and then take the boat. The ferry has limited capacity, and to enter, you have to cross a disinfection tunnel. Even to get on taxis (which are golf carts) the use of masks is mandatory.  

The hotels had a capacity of 30%, so you feel like you’re the only one staying.  The employees shielded their faces with plastic protectors, in addition to their masks, and they also took the temperature of the guests and disinfected their shoes.   

There are activities that do not require grouping. Hotels offer private tours of up to 5 people. The beach is wide, and you may not see another tourist swimming in the sea or tanning at a distance of 10 meters.  

TULUM  

The second destination was Tulum. This time the option was to rent a house on Airbnb. Its owners emphasized that their hygiene standards were rigorous, but they failed to provide disinfectant wipes.  

Restrictions on covid19 and excess seaweed were the reasons why it was forbidden to enter the beaches and their archaeological area, but Riviera Maya has a range of attractions that includes lagoons and “cenotes” (natural freshwater ponds).   

Tulum is one of the most visited Mayan sites in Mexico, but on this trip, I only saw the locals. No matter the size of the crowd, it is very charming. With so many picture-perfect points of interest, it’s worth cycling through them, which is a traditional tourist activity.   

For $8, I rented a bike for the day. Pedaling through the hotel area near the beach was a good option. The area is ideal for taking those perfect social media photos. 

Places that are not be missed: The “Follow that Dream” sign from the Lolita store; Matcha Mama’s swings; the sculpture “Come to the Light” by artist Daniel Popper at the hotel “Ahau”; the entrance of the Selina hotel, and the cenote inside the Clandestino restaurant.  

Another option to enjoy, without any contact with more tourists, was the Kaan Luum lagoon. This giant nature reserve is open from 9am. It is characterized by its watercolor tones, which change as it becomes deeper. In addition, it has hammocks and swings around, making the site very pleasant and relaxing.   

Th entry cost is 50 pesos (3USD). Additional equipment can be rented for kayaking or diving.   

One of the sacred sites of the Maya were the “cenotes”, which are freshwater ponds connected to caves and underground rivers. They are famous along the Yucatan Peninsula.  

In Riviera Maya alone you can dive and swim in about 20 locations.  Near Tulum is Gran Cenote, which is more open and spacious, and makes it easier to follow social distance guidelines. Here, disinfection protocols, our new normality, were applied and employees were diligently avoiding crowds.   

RESTAURANTS

The beaches were closed, but the hotel restaurants in front of the sea were still worth it. It was still allowed to have a margarita and eat some tacos, enjoying the breeze and the view.  

This is how in hotels such as The Mi Amor, in Tulum and Mamitas, in Playa del Carmen, you could even enter the pools without worries. Due to the limited number of allowed visitors, they were practically empty.    

In Playa del Carmen, restaurants were coming back to life. Upon entering, the fully protected servers apply hands sanitizer to each customer and take their temperature. In addition, each table has signs to notify them that they have been cleaned, and the menus were barcodes that are scanned on the cell phone.   

TOUR ON CATAMARAN    

On my last day in the Mexican Caribbean, I decided to take a tour of Isla Mujeres on a catamaran. These trips had their capacity reduced from 50 persons to 12.   

Upon entering the docks in Cancun, our temperature was taken, we were offered antibacterial sanitizer, and once in the catamaran, our shoes stayed in a box, which the crew disinfected.   

The crew never took off their mask, but visitors could, as long as we were apart. We receive disposable equipment for snorkeling. 

During my week in Riviera Maya, I could see that the local tourism industry continues to get ready for this new normal and for the time when the area reopens a 100 percent.   

Tourism is considered an essential job in Mexico, so its community follow every rule and make us visitors be fully compliant with health protocols so that the danger of contagion is minimal, and all travelers feel confident to travel despite the uncertainty that the world is currently experiencing 

TO NOTE:   

• The parks of the Xcaret group are open to the public, but with reduced schedules. It’s best to check your www.xcaret.com  

• As of September 7, the beaches of Riviera Maya (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and other municipalities) have already entered the phase two. Its beaches began to reopen by 60-70%.   

• Cancun Airport and Cozumel are open.   

• There is no quarantine required upon arrival to the Riviera Maya, Mexico. But for more information about restrictions and epidemiological risks, you can enter  https://reactivemosq.roo.gob.mx  (Spanish only).