In the middle of a week full of stress, where I have even cried from being immersed in so many responsibilities during these last days of what remains of the year, a friend had the best idea of this November so far: “What if we go for a walk at the Botanical Garden?” Believe it or not, every person I know had told me, and recommended, that I had to go; that it is a magical place to disconnect and at the same time it is ideal for exercising. Today, well, yesterday (while I write this post the hours have already passed...) I had one of the most beautiful surprises I could have had in my own city: a forest, clean air, and total peace.
Not long ago I decided to move from my city, Guacara, to San Diego, which is the neighboring city of my home state. While I know the qualities and places of greatest interest of where I am living, it is no less true that I had not realized that in the middle of a city full of concrete there was a park that extended from the main avenue (which crosses the entire city from north to south) all the way to the river. What do I mean by that? Well, that in the heart of San Diego there is not only a giant park, but inside it I discovered the wonders of the forest of my city’s Botanical Garden.
A beauty that, for several reasons, had kept me from visiting it. Believe me, the photographs I took do not do justice to the immensity of the territory that place covers. On Google Maps, before going, I noticed how extensive it is. It literally begins in the middle of the city and ends at the foothills of the mountain ranges that serve as a natural barrier between my current place of residence and the neighboring city, my lifelong home. It is crazy.
Every day I wake up and my routines are inexorably planned and therefore repetitive. I swear that sometimes I go to a café and eat two million sweets with two million cups of latte coffee with milk just to feel that life and problems are not running over me. Obviously that habit is not entirely healthy but it is pleasant. Exercising, taking photos, and walking kilometer-long distances are much more positive for me, and for the people who come to this park forest in the middle of the city. I have to tell you that I am completely in love with this place.
I felt like I was in Jurassic Park. Where the trees are tall and thin and the width of the leaves is so dense that the sunlight, in the golden hour of the day, becomes faint. It is the typical place full of nature that is capable of creating incredible wildlife. I saw mushrooms blooming in the middle of autumn in a rainforest-like environment. Trees with trunks as wide as a house that I could not photograph in proportion to a human because I decided to go alone and impulsively. As I told you, I needed to disconnect; more and more this has become a necessity in my life.
I came across beautiful flora. From the dirt forest path to the smell of the place. Pure freshness, and no, it is not a slogan, it is the simple truth. The rays of a dying sun on a warm afternoon had the slightest effect on vegetation that clearly is adapted to grow upward. As I said, thin and tall trees predominated wherever you looked. Also, the paths that humans have made to reconcile human activity with the power of nature are not invasive or too dangerous. Relatively speaking, it is organized and clean.
A place to exercise outdoors. Disciplines such as outdoor running, hiking, and especially camping and even excursions. I swear the Botanical Garden is gigantic. I spent almost two hours there and I did not manage to see even fifteen percent. Without a doubt, with each passing day I fall even more in love with this city. San Diego, although it could be better in many aspects, when it comes to places that make you fall in love and appreciate what you have in your city, is unique. The people who built this city perfectly combined the concrete typical of any city with the greenery that comes from being in the middle of a mountainous valley.
So, is it worth visiting the Botanical Garden of San Diego? Do not have the slightest doubt. If you are in Carabobo, which is the state where it is located, you should come. Most likely someone will want to take you and you should listen when it happens. Do not make the mistake I made of underestimating the mere idea. I had one of the most pleasant and calm afternoons I have had in a long time. A balm for the soul and for worries, a kiss to calm the monotony of everyday life, and a place to connect with what is essential. I titled it the way I did because it is what most fairly reflects reality: the beauty of nature within a city.
All photographs and content used in this post are my own. Therefore, they have been used under my permission and are my property.