La Mesa Eco-Park: A Forest In The City
by Danny Tariman
I never imagined there could be a forest right in the middle of the city. I was very surprised that as we cross that short bridge in a village in Quezon City, we were quickly transported to another world!
From a jungle of cement walls and iron roofs, it was a refreshing respite to be welcomed by tropical rain forest in just few meters of driving. Indeed! Tall trees, shrubs, and vines of every kind welcomed us as we enter La Mesa Nature Park.
A nice reception hall awaits visitors to this forest-in-a-city, with comfortable lounging area and clean rest rooms. Parking is spacious too but quite limited.
After finding a good slot to park our car, we started our short trek into the forest park.
We passed by an extra-large swimming pool with lots of people! The crowd was so big that we just decided not to take a dip in the pool.
Farther in our trek, the park is lined with food stalls offering various kinds of food. The road too has a lot of people walking around the nature park.
It is quite surprising that so many visitors are walking around. Perhaps they too, like us, wanted to find some respite to the usual city living.
We had a good taste too of the various food being sold in the park. There are plenty of choices.
There are also a lot of areas to have some rest, or just to have a good chat with family and friends. We saw some groups pitch tents in the lawn; some kids just playing around with fellow kids or with parents. Really a nice and inexpensive place for bonding.
At the far end of the park is a stair leading to the wall of La Mesa Dam, the water reservoir that supplies water to households of Metro-Manila.
We walked up the stairs. It was quite tiresome, I must admit. But the view is beautiful. The steps are lined with ornamental plants and as we go higher, we can see a good view of the large pond or artificial lake within the park. The scene was very refreshing: trees, grass, shrubs, and the emerald-colored pond complement each other to give a nice green view.
Indeed, it was a refreshing experience of a forest within the city!
DANNY TARIMAN 