August 2019 [by Bill]
Today I visited the world famous Batu Caves, located just outside of Kuala Lumpur. I reached the caves via a 45-minute bus ride. There were fewer than ten people on the bus. The cost was about USD$10 round trip.( Other ways to get there.)
When you get to the Batu Cave area, the first thing you see is the towering 140 foot Buddha statue, 100% covered in gold leaf. Directly behind the statue to the left is a stairway consisting of 242 brightly colored, very steep, steps.
As you approach the stairs, there’s a picturesque view of a small lake. There’s also a Buddhist temple which you can visit (no shoes allowed). The mountain mainly consists of limestone, a soft and very porous rock.
With the heat and humidity, the stairs took their toll on me. I now know how NBA players feel when sweat is dripping non stop from their faces. At the top there is a huge main cave, as well as a few outlet areas, with Buddhist shrines built into them. On the way up (and down), lots of smallish monkeys are scampering pretty much everywhere.
Everything is painted in very bright colors.
By the time I got back to the bottom of the stairs, every person was a sweaty mess, but also exclaiming about how spectacular this place is. The photos do not do it justice. 4 bottles of water later, I still feel thirsty.
There is no actual cost to visit the Batu Caves complex. I’m glad I visited on a Tuesday, as the crowds were large, but I’m told on the weekends there’s so many people, there is a line to walk up the steps.
The weather this morning was 80 degrees at 7:00 AM. It almost felt cool compared to the mid 90’s, and the off the charts humidity later in the day . By 10:00 AM, it was back to the mid 90’s, with the never ending humidity.
The traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur is truly epic, in all of the wrong ways. Motorcycles are zipping in, around and through the streets, including on the sidewalks. Way too many cars, tour buses, city buses, as well as large numbers of tourists and locals on every street corner. Crossing the street is a life threatening event every time.
I’ve determined that in order to maintain some type of counter balance to the oppressive heat and humidity in Kuala Lumpur, I will try to do activities in the morning or late afternoon, and spend the rest of each day in an AC place, or taking a dip in the pool at the apartment where I’m staying at.
Small Wide World 