A walk filled with sadness

about 2 hours ago

Welcome dear friends.

While I was near the Magdalena Clinic running some medical errands for my wife here in Barrancabermeja, where I live, I stopped for a short stroll and a coffee in Parque La Vida, which is right across the street from the clinic. To be honest, if the coffee hadn't been good, this walk would have been much more bitter. It saddened me to see the park's state of disrepair; frankly, the name "Park of Life" is a bit of an exaggeration these days.

At this time of year, it used to be a favorite meeting place for Barrancabermeja residents, especially children. In fact, since I started posting here on Hive, I've often shared content about the Christmas lights and other activities in the park. All those older posts are full of color, joy, children running around, and impressive Christmas decorations, but today's post is the saddest I've shared about the place. I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth seeing the park's neglect.

The walkways are in such bad shape it looks like a tank drove over them instead of people. The surrounding area is littered with trash, and the green spaces have lost their color. It's a shame this park has fallen into such disrepair.

On the other hand, there are the rusty, broken, and dislodged rides. And to think that children play here and some people exercise here. But the atmosphere is completely desolate; it looks like the Wild West. I think the most loyal inhabitants of the park are still the pigeons, who are always wandering around looking for food.

There are few green areas left. I would venture to say that about 80% of them are deteriorated. There are also some monuments that have managed to survive, as well as others that seem to have lost their artistic and symbolic significance, simply abandoned.

Something else that has generated a lot of discussion and frightened the population is the issue of crime. In November alone, three people were murdered in broad daylight, and others were wounded by gunfire. I think this is part of the reason why interest in this park has waned. Many sarcastically refer to it as the "park of death" after these events.

In the past, it was impossible not to come and enjoy the excellent Christmas lights. This place was like a stadium packed with people, children running and enjoying the rides, families taking pictures, and many vendors with their wares. In short, this was a different place. Today, there's no reason to visit it this Christmas. What a shame.