Wednesday Walk : Down The Memory Lane

This is a park we used to spend a lot of time in. I worked in an office building nearby for 12 years or so, and it became a regular venue of sorts every time my friends at the office would call for weekend bonding activities.

Then came my kids -- they loved playing here too. There is a huge playground where kids could release all their excess energy, LOL. I was not too amused by the high beams and slides but they seemed to not bother so I eventually learned to calm myself down and just trust in my kids.

The pandemic led most if not all parks and playgrounds to be closed to the public. At the same time, the government took the chance to renovate most of them during these closures. Now that the pandemic restrictions have eased down, the parks are open. The desert summer has already waned as well so spending time at the park is the usual getaway activity.

This edition of my Wednesday walk is from when I took the kids to the Capital park to play at the playground while I headed to the hospital across the street for my doctor's appointment.

The above photo shows a view of the First Abu Dhabi Bank Building. The hospital I went to was just a few meters from it. The Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid, currently the tallest building in Abu Dhabi could also be seen.

The Capital Park is relatively big. It used to be referred to as the Capital Garden, located between Hamdan and Khalifa Streets in Abu Dhabi. I remember there was a AED 1.00 ($0.27) entrance fee from 4:00pm onwards a few years ago, but now it is free for everyone -- they already removed the gates and the perimeter fence.

We were here from about 4:00pm until sun down and while there were very few people when we came, they slowly started coming afterwards since school and working hours were finished for most.

There were children in the playground, young men in the basketball court, some joggers and casual walkers, some simply just sitting and passing time with their companions.

I have definitely missed walking around this park. This fountain that is at the middle of the park gives the illusion that the water is lifting that big boulder up! There used to be some ducks around here but perhaps due to the park closure, they had to be relocated.

Now that the park is open, we surely will come here more often this colder season. It is at the City center and is nearby many major establishments, husband's workplace is within walking distance, too! I just have to make sure that I make no mention to the kids in advance so I can avoid their constant nagging and follow ups, and disappointments, just in case we couldn't go. LOL.

PS - Looking at my pinmapple map I saw one poem I published here in 2017 showing some photos from around the park. If you would take time to open, you will find a photo that shows the fence around the park was still there.

Gone Forever. Bleeding Hearts...