A great spot right in the heart of the city

I live in a town near the downtown area of the state where I live, but I have to go to this downtown area—called Maracay—to run errands and also for work, so I end up going there once or twice a week. And even though I always go to those specific places—for example, to do my shopping or meet with clients—I try to take different routes so the routine doesn’t get to me.

Almost at the entrance to what we call here “downtown”—which is the area with the most businesses and stores in all of Maracay—there’s a park that’s been there for as long as I can remember. It used to have a different name and looked very different too. But not long ago, it was completely remodeled; they installed lots of new playground equipment for the kids and also built several paths and benches so people could sit down to rest or even go there to relax for a little while.

This park has two entrances, each leading to a different street, so it also serves as a shortcut to get to the other side. In fact, the reason I went into this park was because I wanted to get to the other street, but once I entered, I couldn’t help but stop to sit down for a while and rest, because it’s always wonderful and pleasant to be in a place where the trees sway in the breeze and provide shade.

I have to say that the park was pretty clean, and even though there were children playing and laughing, the atmosphere actually felt quite peaceful. My husband was with me, so we both sat there talking for a while; it was a good place to rest and recharge our energy a bit so we could continue with our work.

In the different areas, there were various play structures for the children, but I liked seeing that some of them were made from recycled materials; they were well-arranged and also gave the place a nice look. It simply struck me as a visually pleasing place because it looks very clean—and, of course, most importantly for me, because it’s full of nature everywhere, with vegetation sprouting from the earth, leaving only the concrete paths clear.

I think it’s a good idea to place this park right at the entrance to downtown because it’s one of the first things you see. In a place where all you see are stores and buildings everywhere, seeing nature gives your eyes a rest but also lets you know that there will always be a place there where you can go to clear your mind—or even, just like my husband did a few days ago, go sit there while running errands that require you to wait.