Ramadhan Walk

Since I was off for the first day of Ramadhan, I decided to take a ride into time en route to pick Anita up from Gombak. It allowed me to stop at the bank to settle some bills and took my camera with me.

That famous monorel bridge at NU SentralWaiting for my ride ...Decorations at NU SentralPacking them in ..I just got myself a new lens and was eager to give that a go. Ramadhan and the hot sunshine did not stop me.

One of the many arches near Central MarketMedan PasarStill too early for Aidil FitriWalking around Medan Pasar and Central Market at that hour was not really my idea of a photowalk, but there were quite a few subjects to aim at.

The ever-familar KL TowerThe number to call ...Masjid JamekMaking my way backThe new setup I tried - the Leica CL with Summicron-TL 23 - was a dream to use, especially as I usually use a manual setup. Focussing on this combo was fast and usually accurate despite the lens wide open. Contrast may not be as great as the Summilux-M 35 which I normally use, but the convenience of autofocus made up for it. Time to get more mileage on the lens and get use to the renderings ...

.... and Crossings

The second elements I wanted to concentrate on during the walk were the zebra crossings. White ones would be boring. Luckily around the path of our walk, they were bright yellow. And most of them seemed to look like they had just been painted.

Contrast that to the dark asphalt road and bright blue sky on a wide-angle lens, it looked really nice.

A perfect capture would include a colorful row of shophouses at the far end ...

I managed to capture a few of those shots before the weather turned dull. Sharp morning light were just perfect for these kind of photos ...

The Route

The Heritage Trail is well known route amongst tourist in Kuala Lumpur. It took the walker along Central Market towards Chinatown, doubling back towards Masjid Jamek and Dataran Merdeka stopping at a few temples along the way.

With the right guide, there were much to take in as the route snake through the old part of KL steep with history as well as showcasing the diversity of the locals in terms of race and religion. It was a mix of the old and the new, some really nice colonial, art decor-inspired architecture as well as the modern. As flat route which was not too challenging but one had to be vigilant of the traffic. And pick pockets.

It started hereReady to go ...The congregation point as it has been for the last few walks ...We were moving ...The route for the Kelby Walk this year borrowed the path while adding in a few extras. It took us into Pasar Karat as the entrance to Chinatown, then going past a wet market before going to the Sri Maha Mariamman Indian Temple. Then came a couple of Chinese Temple - Guan Di and Sin Sze Si Ya - as we make our way towards Medan Pasar.

There we took a short break to enjoy an exhibition at RUANG which is the site of Urbanscapes House. Apart from the cool photographs on display, we were also treated to air conditioning - which was equally as important.

Nice colour ...Looks like some of the building needs rejuvenating ...Pasar KaratChinatown as next ...Having a discussionUnfortunately, the weather took a turn as we left RUANG. It started to rain as we filed along the route towards Masjid Jamek. We were there to enjoy the sights of River of Life but unfortunately the water features were switched off at the time.

Half of the grouped ventured on towards Dataran Merdeka while I slowly made my way back towards Central Market where I parked my car. It was drizzling then, and I decided to take off.

Graffiti Rediscovering the route ...Some hot work in progressThe weather was certainly turning ...Few who stayed on actually got a reprieve from the rain as the sunshine returned. I was already halfway to Gombak by then ...

The route was a great one, but I had enough of the temples to be honest after stopping by there a few times before. We had to take our shoes off when we enter the Indian temple of which I decided to give that a miss. I should have spent more time at Pasar Karat and Chinatown but the place was getting too crowded for good photos.

Kelby Walk 2017

The weather didn't look promising at the start of the day. After waking up extra early, I must say that I was disappointed when I pulled the curtains. There were heavy clouds, even threatening to rain at certain parts of the horizon.

Selfie with the walk leader, RipiHalimi brought his own transport ...Catching up with the news ...And so we embarked ...Making my way to the hospital for an extra early rounds, I was happy to see that the cloud had begun to dissipate. I was even more optimistic as I made my way into town for my yearly meeting with my friends. It was that time of the year again. The Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk. And this year, we would be following the Heritage Trail starting at Central Market.

Time for a pose ...A mural near Pasar KaratA peaceful Chinese teahouse. Business started early ...Looking up as we approached Pasar KaratThe gear I took with me this year was the the X-Pro2 with a wide angle zoom as well as the Ricoh GR as backup. I also brought the 35mm f1.4 lens just in case it started to rain and I needed a faster lens.

After meeting up at one of the mamak shop along Kasturi Walk, we confer gated at the Central Market main entrance for the obligatory group photos. This was followed by a short briefing by Ripi who was again the walk leader.

Welcome to ChinatownFollowing my own shadows ...Stop for a second breakfastAnd the weather turning gloomy ....We were soon making our way to Pasar Karat and Chinatown. All in glorious sunshine ....

Taking Shelter

I arrived at Lebuh Ampang quite early. There was a stage already set up but nobody's playing. The comedy show I was waiting to see was some time away. And it threatened to rain.

Time to make a timely escape. Rather than going into the Urbanscapes House, I decided to walk on to Central Market. I parked myself at one of the cage and had some drinks.

Might as well order something for the afternoonI was still there an hour later with the sound of thunder ringing outside. Not the time to go yet. But the owner - a fierce-looking Chinese lady - was giving me the look. She sent her waiter a couple of times to clear my table. Luckily there were a few European visitors occupying the table next to me, and they were still there. I guess I would be pretty safe.

The weather didn't seem to let up. I was practically stuck here as I parked my car at Nu Sentral. I'll give it another 30 minutes before making my move...