Park time

August 10, 2011 - 9:00 PM by Jessica

A glimpse of the streams (Photo credit: Panoramio)

It’s August here and everywhere, but August in Israel means the sole summer month without childcare, as most kaytanot (daycamps) — save a few, such as Shutaf, an inclusion-based program — are finished, gans are over and school doesn’t begin until September 1. There are those who save their pennies and go on vacation now, so as to make the best of this slot of time. And there are others, like yours truly, who opted to waste many days of gan while on vacation in June and July, and is now back for the hot days of August.

All complaints aside, it can be a fun opportunity to enjoy a kind of ‘staycation’, where you explore and enjoy the known and less-known spots around your town and country, factoring in budget, travel possibilities and energy. Thanks to a helpful list of parents on one friend’s Facebook group, I was reminded of Gan Ha’atzmaut, Independence Park in downtown Jerusalem and its system of streams and fountains that run through the park.

Stretching between Agron, King George and Menashe Ben Yisrael Streets, the lush green lawns of the park are studded with trees, offering easy shade on a hot afternoon, and the park is bisected in several sections by pebble-lined streams and several shallow pools. I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to wade in them, but we joined other young children and their parents — also decked out in swimwear — in walking through the streams and getting our feet wet.

We didn’t have time to explore the park’s Lion’s Cave, in which a lion reputedly guarded the remains of martyrs. There’s also the ancient Mamilla Pool at the eastern end of the park, a cistern at the center of the Mamilla Cemetery, a long-disputed tract of land in the city of Jerusalem, and just down the block from the Mamilla Mall and hotel.

Instead, we blew bubbles, played Frisbee and then headed home on the bus, a mode of transportation often deemed popular by the toddler set. Another fun, free outing in J’lem. But if you’re interested, there’s free yoga in the park every Wednesday, and the adjacent parking lot turns into an ad-hoc dog park each evening. Something for everyone.

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