Flora, Hippos and Non-Existent Crocodiles

I have been getting to know a few locals and have and have made friends with this guy called Charles who shares a similar interest in photography, who suggests that we meet up for a day out to take photographs on Thursday as it’s (yet another) holiday: Malaysia Day. After learning that I like to photograph flowers, wildlife and buildings, he suggests making a trip to the Malaysian countryside, a newly built Government city with fantastic architecture and, time permitting, this place with a forest of LED trees!

First off - the countryside. We head out to the Paya Indah Wetlands about 50km from the city, between Kuala Lumpur and the airport. It used to be an old mining ground, but with the tin mining industry over, the land has been reclaimed as a nature reserve. We walk round the whole place (in the midday sun!) taking photos of the lakes, flora and fauna:  it's a bit of an odd place, apparently it was commissioned by the previous Prime Minister and was being designed as a premium nature reserve, complete with chalets for renting, cafes, a restaurant, hippos and crocodiles (!), but it was not something that the current PM has been particularly interested in and most of the investment has ceased and building work stopped. Consequently, it’s pretty much abandoned (which I like) but there is plenty of flora, loads of birds and dragonflies. Even the hippos made an appearance, but alas the crocodiles were were either not supplied before the PM lost interest, or were seeking shade from the searing sun.

I actually like the fact that it's deserted: a similar place in the UK, on a beautifully sunny public holiday, would be absolutely packed with families and screaming children.

Stupidly I have worn my Birkenstocks, which are absolutely the wrong shoes to wear out here, and I was quite conscious of snakes and other nasties biting my toes. Naturally no such thing happens at all, and the only thing that can be said is that they are so hot, they swell and I get a few blisters. 

The scenery is amazing and the place is lovely, but after about two hours, I am pretty exhausted - not from physical exertion, but from the length of time in the sun. I was a bit paranoid that the midday sun would evaporate my sun cream and burn my head, so I kept applying more and more to avoid the situation I was in a couple of years ago when I spent the same amount of time wandering about Kuala Lumpur and ended up with a head like a Chinese lantern.

Time for lunch...