Lunar New Year ala Saigon

Arrived back in Saigon on the 5th day of the lunar new year which is know as ‘Tet’ here. The city was most lavishly decorated for the occasion to the point of gaudy in some cases but then again it’s the season where red and gold are fashion statements. Besides the typical Chinese style red décor, a unique twist here is the incorporation of yellow peach blossoms as Vietnam’s answer to the pink/white cherry blossoms of Japan/China. These bonsai looking peach trees which are covered with resplendently brilliant yellow blooms and were in almost every other house porch and all around town as well… like here inside the ornate post office:-
And in front of the town hall:-
The peach blossoms were joined by other yellow flowers like marigold and chrysanthemums.
Carrying on with the yellow theme were these street-lining swift shaped décor.
And of course Vietnamese lanterns were hung on many major streets.

Besides the lanterns, there were also less traditional but still fascinating lighting decorating the streets at night.

And of course rats were infesting the city but in a welcome way for a change.
Despite this not being a four season country in the strict sense, the lunar new year does coincide with blossoming of many flowers giving the place an air of spring. Thus part of the festivities was this flower fest held in the biggest park in the city centre.

There were rats at the flower fest too....like this one made of hay

...and another 2 made of orange gourds

Of course what's the lunar new year without going to the temple and praying for a better year ahead... which is why all these temples in Saigon's chinatown that i visited on the 6th day of CNY were full of devotees :-


Finally “Chuc Mung Nam Moi!!!!” which is Vietnamese for happy new year of course.

Oasis of the butterflies

One of my favourite discoveries over my ten years of living in KL has got to be KL’s own butterfly park within its Lake Gardens. This little hillslope has been landscaped into a lush garden blended with cascading waterfalls, streams and pools, making it a green sanctuary, enabling one to instantly escape from the madding crowd within the city itself.



Of course the pride and joy of the park is its multitude of winged inhabitants of every imaginable hue and colour greeting visitors like a living kaleidoscope, a truly apt playground for an aspiring albeit still very amateur shutterbug like yours truly.








Note that infinite patience is prerequisite for photographing butterflies which are the most fidgety of subjects indeed and there is also the added frustration that they prefer to rest with wings closed making it all the more difficult to capture their true beauty.






This particular butterfly shaped like a dry brown leaf took a liking to sitting on my shoulder… must have felt reasonably camouflaged against my similarly hued skin LOL.
Keep a sharp eye out and one may also encounter these creepy crawly pre-metamorphosis ( I just love this word) butterflies aka caterpillars.

Butterflies are not the only fauna one will encounter, another most enjoyable sight to behold is the resplendent assortment of koi fish in the numerous ponds that dot the park.
Fish food is available at rm1 a packet at the entrance counter for feeding the fish which is not only an auspicious thing to do during the lunar new yr season but also it makes it easier to gather the fish together for a pic like this one.

One will also come across a few odd dragonflies…


There were also a bunch of turtles and terrapins which doubled as resting spots for the butterflies.



As with all tropical ponds tadpoles abounded as well as some huge frogs!!



Oh ya…entrance for locals is RM8 (foreigners pay RM17… Malaysia Boleh!?) and one has to pay RM1 for bring a camera… well worth the much needed dose of nature therapy this little green gem affords the weary soul of a concrete jungle citizen. There is also a very well done information centre with amazing exhibits of preserved butterflies and beetle of all shapes and sizes where one may also cool off in the aircon before leaving.