First stop, KL Sentral. Once there I picked up a Touch 'n' Go (TNG) card. Basically you load funds onto this card and then you swipe in at the train station then you swipe out at your destination and it automatically deducts the cost based on your trip. Super handy, funds last 10 years but the card must be used once a year to keep the funds active. The other option in KL is to pay at the incoming station but you have to know where you're getting off at or your pass won't let you out of the station. And their machines only accept small bills and coins.
If you're in KL Sentral looking for this place to buy the TNGs it's beside the 7/11.
From there I hopped on the Kmuter line up to Batu Caves. This was neat because there was a ladies only car, not that Malaysia is unsafe but being in a strange land alone I have to admit I felt a little more relaxed in this car.
So off I go on the train. It was a little confusing because I was watching the route map LEDs indicate our stations but then the train stopped. The route map said we were at Batu Kentonmen but the signs outside said Batu Caves. After a few minutes of confusion I asked some other lady on the train and she said I had to get off there to go to the caves. I get off the train and walk a bit to find this GIANT Bhuddist or Hindu Monkey Statue. I felt a little bad taking a selfie when people were blessing themselves at it but the damage was already done ><
I also found a temple where I had to take off my shoes to walk up to it. I got in shit for carrying my shoes up so if you go leave them at the bottom or stuff them in your bag.
From there I sought out the famous Batu Caves! I was walking and I saw a sign that said RM 5 and I didn't really register the signs. I found a cave with a bunch of statues and sculptures inside and a small trek up some steep uneven stairs. These were called Ramayana Caves * Suambu Lingam. (I hope this isn't just Malaysian for "enter here" because that's the only info I have a to where I actually was).
After this cave I cooled off a bit, you see someone in the office told me I couldn't wear shorts in the Batu Caves, something religious, so I should wear pants. The only pants I brought besides dress pants was jeans so I wore these. OMG it was hot. On top of that they rent a wrap for RM 5 at the base of the hill so don't wear jeans. Anyways, drank some water, walked some more and saw this:
This reminded me of two things about Malaysia: 1) hydro is subsidized and 2) as much as they have heat outside they like it cold (I'm talking goosebumps cold) inside.
Anyways, I kept walking and then I saw it. My first thought was literally "Oh shit." Then I believe I texted my boyfriend a picture with the caption "Oh shit."
So I had a bit of a hike ahead of me. No time like the present right? So off I went. Thankfully I'm not the only person in history to think this is a bit scary and difficult so they had flights of stairs with resting platforms in between. I saw many people walk a flight, rest, walk, rest, which is similar to what I did. At the bottom there's an officer (possibly a social police?) and some ladies renting wraps, make a stop there to grab one of the lovely scarf wraps they have on offer. All up and down the stairs are these monkeys. I saw several of them snacking on things like gold fish and watching people. To be honest it was a bit scary, one asian lady pulled out a candy for herself and a monkey climbed up her and stole the candy and ran off. The monkeys are quite aggressive and I don't recommend feeding them or snacking en route.
About 90% of the way of I saw signs for this Dark Caves tour. Being tired and hot and sweaty I decided at this point to go check it out. It was a RM 35 tour of the dark caves, and as I learned later it houses some 200,000 bats, 2 types, one of which pollenates the flowers that grow Durian, a massive industry in Malaysia. They also had an array of blind wall climbing snakes, cockroaches, trap door spiders and a bunch of other cave dwelling wild life. I highly recommend going there, they even give you a helmet to shelter you from this highly valued guano (bat poop) dropping from all the bats.
I couldn't take many good pictures on my phone here but above is my selfie at the end of the dark caves where they have a "skylight" and on the right is a cave column that has formed over hundreds of years from dripping water. It's a cave enthusiasts wet dream in this place. So many different formations here, cave curtains, stalactites, stalagmites, the whole nine.
After this tour I carried on up the stairs to the top. I kept hearing a rooster doing its morning call and it got louder the closer to the top I got. I completed the outside stairs and ended at this little landing before finishing a couple more runs inside the mountain, but it was here where I found the source of this morning call:
I guess living in a cave can get confusing on night and day and dawn...
Once I'd gawked I headed back down the stairs to where my steel chariot awaited (MRT) and on to my hotel where I slept a solid 12 hour night. The next day I checked out the National Mosque and the Islamic Arts Gallery, I'll make another post on that because this one is already quite long!
Have you ever climbed the Batu Caves stairs? Would you do it again?
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