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A walk in the park ***Hello everyone, wonderful people at Read.Cash. I wish you all a happy day/night!*** A couple of mornings ago, my son and his bestie convinced me to take them to spend the morning at **Parque del Este**. I haven't been to the park for a long time. The Parque del Este, whose name has changed over the years like many things in the country. Now is called Parque Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda. It was built 60 years ago. It covers an area of ​​64 hectares. And although it has clearly seen better days, it's still a good place to go into its paths and forget a bit from the hustle and bustle of the city. So without further ado, I invite you to join me on a little virtual tour of this park in Caracas.

The animals in the park When we got to the park, the first thing my son and his friend wanted to do was see what animals were left in the park's zoo area. So we headed there. The truth is that there weren't many animals. Many of the areas were empty. But we got to see this Jaguar.

The Jaguar is the largest feline native to the American continent. In some pre-Columbian cultures, these Big Cats were considered gods. They are similar to Leopards, but the spots on their skin are more complex and have a black point in the middle of each spot. If you want to read more about the Jaguars, you can find more information here. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/jaguar After taking several photos of the Jaguar, we went straight to visit the monkeys. Of these, there were several. And these two, in particular, seemed to be gossiping while eating.

These monkeys are capuchin monkeys (monos capuchinos). They are the most common species of monkeys in Venezuela. And their name is due to the black spot on their heads in the form of a hood (capucha). After visiting the monkeys, we went to visit the alligators (caimanes). There were quite a few in a pond accompanied by many turtles. Those in the park are of the Crocodylus acutus species (Caimán de la Costa).

The morning was quite hot, and most of the alligators we saw were like the one in the photo lying in the sun with their mouths open. A curious fact about alligators is that they open their mouths when inert in the sun to cool their body temperature through perspiration. Then we went to the aviary, where many of the areas were empty. But this bird with a majestic appearance caught my attention. It's a Cóndor de la Selva.

It is a scavenger bird. Native to the Americas that live mainly in tropical forests. When I took out my phone to take a photo, it opened its wings as if it were posing. In the park, there is also a terrarium. But since the snakes scare the hell out of me, we didn't visit it. When we left the animal area, we continued walking along the paths of the park, and we went in search of the replica of the Corvette Leander.

The Corvette Leander replica One of my best childhood memories of the park was to visit a replica of one of the caravels with which Christopher Columbus discovered America. You could get on the caravel and go around it. And get an idea of ​​under what conditions the first explorers traveled to American lands. The replica was from the Santa Maria. The three ships with which Columbus first arrived in America were La Pinta, La Niña, and La Santa María. The latter being the smallest of the three vessels. For those who don't live in our continent and don't know the history. The first point the explorers reached when discovering America was an island called Guanahani. Today is one of the islands of the archipelago of the Bahamas. Although, there isn't clarity on the part of historians as to exactly which the island is. Find more info on the Santa María and the replica that used to be at the park here. https://www.venezuelaa.com/articulos/4.asp But returning to the park, years of neglect caused the replica of the Santa Maria to end up being abandoned remains. And was replaced by the Corvette Leander in 2011.

The Leander was the corvette used by Francisco de Miranda on his first expedition to Venezuela in 1806. Francisco de Miranda was the precursor of the independence of Venezuela. His role in history is important not only in Venezuela but in the world. He fought in Africa, Europe, and America. He participated in the Independence of the United States. In the fight for the freedom of Latin America. And in the French Revolution. Therefore his name is one of those engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The Leander was not open for visits. I don't know if they will open it on weekends. Although, from the outside, the structure looks quite deteriorated and urgently needs a renovation. Next to the corvette area, there is a lake where you can rent pedal boat rides. But at the time of our visit, it wasn't working. Leaving the Leander area, we walked to an area most recently attached to the park. Bolivar Park The Bolivar park is a recreation area inaugurated in 2018 on the grounds of the La Carlota airbase. The park is attached to the Parque del Este through a bridge over the largest highway in Caracas, the Francisco Fajardo.

To go to Bolivar Park from Parque del Este. You have to walk across the Independence Bridge. In the park, there are several recreational areas. A cafe in a tower. And an artificial lake. But without a doubt, the best thing about the place is the majestic views of the Avila.

And although several clouds covered part of the mountain during our visit, the view was still simply breathtaking. After this visit, we decided to end our visit to the park. It was noon and was hot. The park also has a planetarium that I don't know if it is working these days and an acoustic shell for concerts and shows.

Although the park isn't living its best time, It's still a good place to spend a morning in Caracas. So if life ever brings you here, it's a nice way to spend a morning in the city. Thank you for joining me on this virtual tour! :) To all my dear readers and wonderful sponsors, thank you so much! All images are my own. Until next time! ;) August 7, 2021

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