Paraíso. Paradise.
It lives up to its name.
I discovered this gem earlier this week. I had heard about
it a bit, but it wasn’t until I ventured out on my bike along one of the rivers
(I still don’t know the names of the
4 rivers!) that I stumbled upon this place. I was intrigued by a bike/walking
path along the water’s edge, so I followed it. I followed it and followed it
and followed it. And then I came into a clearing full of colorful playground
equipment (some of it still being installed) and wide open green areas. Ah,
green space in Cuenca! It was such a welcome sight after trudging through the
crazy city center, with its diesel fuel, dare-devil drivers, and honking taxis.
Parque Paraíso has trails for walking, jogging, biking,
whatever. The trails take you through the park and into a wooded area, and then
the path splits into a dirt trail for bicycles and a wooden walkway for those
on foot. There is a huge lake that has paddleboats sitting in it. Flowers pop up to add a colorful vibe. Signposts encourage people to clean up after their dogs, throw their
trash in the garbage bins, and to not disturb the plant life.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know I’ve been around Philly a lot, but at least I can breathe
there most of the time. In Cuenca, I feel that my lungs are getting used to
less oxygen, but they’re also being polluted by toxic fumes. In this fabulous
park though, I felt free.
The sound of the water rushing in the river, the yells of
children playing futbol (soccer),
the flock of birds cawing at each other; it was all so nice. This is a park
where people come to exercise, have picnics, photograph their grandchildren
while they sit on the giant rocks, or cuddle with their lover.
Almost every day this past week I visited this park, usually
before work. The more time I spent there, the better I felt. I was outside, I
was away from technology, I was alone (but in a good way) and I was at peace.
Paradise.
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