How I found solace in the sights and sounds of a park (and you can too)

After my father died, I traveled to Caracas, Venezuela's capital city, for his funeral. One afternoon, one of my cousins invited us to Quebrada Quintero, a small waterfall within a 20-minute walk.

The trail is part of the Ávila National Park, officially called Waraira Repano. The range of mountains can be seen from almost everywhere in the city, but it had been years since I walked on any of its trails.

A mural named "Danzas Tradicionales" (Traditional dances) welcomes visitors.

I felt at peace as soon as I walked into the park and passed the Cocada booth en route to the waterfall. The summer heat disappeared below the tree canopy. The frogs sang. At the crossroads, we took the path to the waterfall.

I didn't know it then, but by noticing the trail with all my senses, I was “forest bathing”. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture created the term shinrin-yoku in the early 80s. It also translates as “absorbing the forest atmosphere.”

The process greatly benefits humans, especially in big, stressful cities like Caracas. Forest bathing, can help lower blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels, according to studies.

It certainly helped me grieve after months at hospitals, witnessing my father's health deteriorate. On the path, a sign warned: "Avoid shortcuts."

I heard the city intruding into the forest as we approached the Quintero Ravine. But then I saw the view: Caracas in all of its splendor.

El Ávila National Park continues offering an escape from the madness of the city. It is so close and at the same time so far away from the chaos. I suspect is one of the reasons caraqueños have survived years of political upheaval and crime.

We are finally very close to the waterfall. This 20-minute trail reminds me why my father loved nature so much. He was a rancher with a mission to plant thousands of trees annually.

I know I will always find him in the forest.