My FB status early this morning went something like this... 'Haslina Kamaruzzaman is up early to burn some naughty calories'. Indeed. The lazy (at dragging my butt to exercise) me went cycling at Putrajaya Botanical Gardens with Raimi and Hafizah (good old Bangians & Adelaideans they are :)).
Wait, I can't resist this... HOOOORAH Lina! YOU shed some sweat! Please continue for the sake of the Energizer Run in April...
Okay. Back to Putrajaya Botanical Gardens. So you see, I was amazed when I reached this place. How come I've never known that it existed before??
Greens all around, serene lakes and water to keep the atmosphere cool, fresh air for the lungs, well-maintained jogging & bicycle tracks, fun water activities like kayak and boat cruise, not-at-all-shabby canopy bridge, small dam that resembles a teeny-weeny Niagara Falls, long boardwalks by the lake, bikes for hire, artsy Moroccan building, and of course, abundance of trees, shrubs and flower plants to satisfy the eyes.
I'm not kidding, this is a place to escape from the daily hustle-bustle of the city. A place to chill out with your family and friends. A place to bring your kids to teach them to appreciate the wonders of nature.
Bicycles could be hired at a cheap rate of RM4 per hour. But beware that you need to get there early as they run out fast. The 3 of us happily cycled for an hour. Thank God for gears on the bikes. The uphill ride would be painful without the gears!
I only wished that they could open the information counter (where you hire the bikes) way earlier than 9am. I mean come on, the sun is already reaching its high by that time. 7am or 8am (at most) would be better.
I would recommend to anyone to go there. But please, keep the place clean. It's a fact that Malaysians are famous for littering in public places. So, have some sanity people! I hope that this place could be enjoyed by us and the generations ahead too.
Although I fell flat on my butt due to overly-excited bike ride (can't remember the last time I rode a bike!) and due to taking the road less travelled, I'm plain happy because I've discovered a place where nature is there for me to revel in. I mean, doesn't that make you happy? Of course, spending time with wonderful girlfriends is another reason I came back happy. :D
