Time for Goodbye

Another photowalk was sorted. Certainly this year the walk was different. There was a more raw edge to it. And this happened in Pudu a few days after a bomb exploded in Bukit Bintang nearby killing one person.

There was always a suspicion that the local triad had a hand in that. This was always a case in a Chinese dominated business district. Pudu was no different.

As usual, the walk was started with the obligatory group shop. And at the end point, there was always lunch. This time the exit point was back at Pudu Plaza. That was handy since I parked there.

After a quick snack, it was time to say goodbye. We shall meet again next year ...

The Old Town

Jalan Pudu used to be a business hub of the town. But over the years, the commercial area had moved somewhere else and the shophouses here had lost their importance and some were even left abandoned for new development.

The same went for the residential areas round here. The old flats here were still occupied and despite being near the city center, the place was still quiet and green.

There were plenty of urban decay to be captured though as most of the buildings here could easily be dated from the 60s and 70s, mainly occupied by Chinese businessmen.

The houses were mainly rows of flat 4 stories high, with Art Deco finish and bright colours. As with most part of KL, the maintenance and facade had suffered over the years. A new coat of paint would have been nice.

We took a left turn along the rows of houses to reach one of the old abandoned building which Ripi had identified .....

The Faces at the Market

Carrying the 56 f1.2 meant that close-ups would really stand up against the background with a wicked bokeh to boot. Shooting at f1.2 at such a crowded and free moving area present a problem would focusing and the depth of field was really shallow.

I stepped down the aperture to 1.8 and fired away. The built in face recognition algorithm on the X-T1 certainly helped as I didn't have much time to focus at times.

Some of the vendors were happy to have their photos taken, but not all. Another thing I noticed were the number of foreigners working at the marking. They probably outnumber the locals.

They were mainly Nepalese, and they could actually speak a bit of Mandarin to interact with the buyers. Indonesians manned the majority of the Halal section. I supposed that was market forces at work. The foreigners could be hired at lower wages ....

Great fun, but I soon found myself walking in circles. The vendors don't like us photographers hanging around blocking the flow of customers ......

Ching Wan Xian Shi Temple

Nestled at the edge of the buzzing Pudu Wet Market, sat this quaint Buddhist temple, full of colours.

The volunteers there were busy preparing for some festival the next day, hence there were plenty of activities going on. There would be a pantomime and some food offering for the next day. The keepers there answered our questions while we were snapping away.

Neat row of plantsLook at my soleSome incense Volunteers helping out for the coming festivities

Plenty of colours and nice lights, although compared to other temples, this place was a right tiny one. We were there while waiting for the market to open. Some of the walker took the time to have some morning drinks at the stalls nearby.

I pushed on to the market ...

Setting Off

Although many were lugging along their bulky gear, we ended up using a compact for the group photo. Ripi's Sony RX100. It did its job.

We made our way towards the Pudu Wet Market, about one km away. We passed by some flats and shops, took the time to talk to other walkers, and of course sample the local scene.

The flats offered some interesting backdrop, although I would wish for a sunny blue sky. The dull overcast weather would favour some high contrast black and white shots. Easily done, especially with the Ricoh GR.