Batu Caves; Malaysia

Day two in Malatsia was hot and sweltering. Did I mention it was the middle of winter? I had been walking thru snow not 48 hours earlier! I heard of the Batu caves through my correspondence with the folks on couchsurfing.com--they told me Batu in one of the top must see sights to visit while touring KL.
We tromped through the city on an early Sunday morning. It was the final day of the Chinese New Year, and Chinatown--where we caught the bus--was bustling as usual. we found the bus adjacent to the bank. and took and hour ride out to the GOMBAK district, about 8 miles out. We arrived at the most massive and elaborate cave mouth I've ever seen; made from limestone, it takes 272 steps to ascend into the mouth of the caves. you must pass by a giant golden statue who is facing away from it, like a guard with a staff. We took off our shoes and walked up..up...up.
Inside there was water dripping--limestones are alive with fresh water; without it they would crumble and die. People of all types, from all around the world, were drawn to this place. hindus visiting shrines, getting their heads covered in ash during the lunar holiday; tourists snapping photos; and me, doing headstands. There were monkeys running up and down the rocks, and the place reaked of incense. Touch the walls and they were soggy with a moist, ashy substance. I found that out the hard way.

Sun, Sus, Sam...here we are at the end of the main cave, trying to pose like the statues above.

This man on the bus has yellow ash smeared all over his head. We're on a bus heading back to Kuala Lumpur.



I was inspired by traveling again, and overjoyed to have made a few new friends, I'm so glad my first stop on vacation was so voerwhelmingly successful! When I arrived I jumped excitedly; I recognized this as one of the checkpoints for the contestants of the Amazing race! ...also I found out a month later that they were again in Malaysia (this time Penang)...during the same time I was visiting Langkawi. Ka had said, don't go to Penang...it's lame. so I skipped it...hmmm.