From The Ritz to the Batu Caves

Steps to Batu Caves
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My cousin, Max, is here! Great timing,! As I was just about to head out for a cup of joe, Max pulls up in the toyota corolla "limo" taxi!  Should have warned her about the taxi. From the moment I see her, I know have to shift from 1st gear (casual, coffee morning) to 5th gear (let's go workout!).  After travelling for the past 18 hours, she still has the energy to get a quick workout in before meeting her friend for lunch!  Who am I to say no?  I gotta keep up with her. I know, I know, John,Joanna, and even her 5 yr-old daughter, Jordan warned me about her.

Guy carrying steel kavadi, climbing steps
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For lunch, we were invited by her local Malaysian friend/colleague, Alex and his mom (nicest people I have met thus far!), for dim sum at the Ritz Carlton.  One word, SUPERB!  Fine dining, delicious and unique items, and great service! Highlight of the meal - Since it is Chinese New Year, the locals here have a traditional dish, called "Loh Sang" (translated Mixed Raw), which is served only during the CNY period. The presentation was so beautifully done. A large, round plate is brought to the table, containing a finely shredded concoction of salad accompaniments, and sashimi fish. Once we are ready, the waiter places the sashimi and pours the plum sauce over the large plate.  From there, we take over. As a group, everyone picks up their chopsticks, and begins mixing the salad together, all the while verbally expressing all the good tidings to be had for the coming year ahead.  The higher you bring your chopsticks up, the more good energy to be had!  It was so much fun!  Definitely a tradition I would like to start!!!  (Tip: Waiter tried to change the large plate to a smaller plate to make room for the other food to come. Don't let them! It's superstition, but by doing that you are reversing the "abundance" that was just wished for! Just finish the salad and then let them take it away, but not before!)

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Unknowingly, I stumbled into the best travel time in Malaysia!  There is so much culture happening around me, that I think I may be in shock!  Where's my starbucks, please?  JK, it's all in a good way.  From an afternoon tea celebrating my own culturee, Max and I decided to go to the famous limestone formation, Batu Caves(just north of KL, accessible by train) where Hindus come to pray to their gods. However, today, is the Thaipusam celebration, which marks the time when the brightest star appears. (*History is the goddess, Parvathi, gave her son a "vel" (lance) to fight the demons and their armies.)  A devotee prepare his spiritual cleansing, meditation, creating his kavadi (looks like a huge ass steel shrine), and fasting for 48 days prior!!! I can't even do one day, let alone 48! Today, all the Indians of Malaysia make the pilgramage to this site (felt like 1 million!!), where they climb 272 steps to the Batu Caves, greeted by roaming monkeys and numerous mini temples.

Now that you have the background, here's my experience. OMG!!! The train ride there was interesting enough, as it was loaded full of pilgrims, and then then oddball tourists, like us. As soon as we get off the train, we are greeted with such a stench (since the festivities were already happening for days, 24 hours/day, and no Waste Management control). It was a spectacle indeed, with food/trinket stalls, a mini carnival, but most of all, PEOPLE!!! This place is not for the weak, faint of heart, or the claustrophobic.  Several times I had to remind myself that we came hear to learn, and be part of this celebration. I just held on tight to Max! Seriously my face was up agains someones back the entire time!! Little to no room to move, and you canjust pushed along.  At the foot of the caves, stands the tallest statue ever built, a 140 ft high, of Lord Muraga (no idea who that is).

We climbed the 272 steps to get to the caves. As we approached the top, I was anxious to see what was inside! To my disappointment, we were greeted by more garbage and debris.  Can someone call the janitor, please? Okay, whatever, moving on, it was a huge cavern, and a lot of activity going on with the prayers, and chants.  It was in acuality a bit anticlimatic. We made our way back down the steps, and was awe of the devotees carrying the kavadi. They carry these huge shrines from their waste, and have hooks in their skin!!!I One wrong move or bad step, and the skin is coming off!!! They have an entourage helping them up, but really the devotees are in a trance, and they should not give into the pain. The chant is "Vel!! Vel!"That was really cool to see. Not everyone does this, only those that are "devoted", men and women.  Craziest sight were the guys with really big SKEWERS pierced through cheek to cheek, hooks on their back!!!

After 2 hours, we decided it was time to leave. I was a bit scared about getting trampled, or just couldn't find a way out. Luckily Max is here!  Although, we did have this suspicious older Chinese guy follow us!  Funny how, there could be a million Indians around us, and he ends up being the one that scares the crap out of me!!! He actually freaked me out, cuz no matter how we were weaving through the crowd, he was frickin behind me the whole way!  So I told Max to stop at a stall, and see if he follows.  AND he DID! Shithead! He came in looking at the crap too, and when we left, he left!  Finally, we decided to sit down on some steps, and he gave us a quick look, and disappeared into the crowd.

Max decided he was probably looking for a way out too, and saw some of his "own" people to hook up with.  I guess I have to learn to be less suspicious of people. Sorry, old man. Thought you wanted to kill us.

We met a lovely Indian mother and her daughter while waiting for the train to leave Batu Caves. Learned a lot about the Thaipusan, and their devotion to this great day. It was a good reminder for me that today's experience is blessing in disguise, as I was lucky enough to be able to come be a spectator at this special time of year.

It's been a long day, from the elegance of the Ritz Carlton to the spectacle of the Batu Caves, I'm just glad to be back at the JW Marriott!!! That's enough culture for one day.

We ended the evening having dinner on Jalon Alor road, full of hawker stands.  A full meal (for 5 dishes) cost us less than $10. We were also lucky enough to get live evening tunes, compliments of the Philipino street musicians, singing "Hotel California".  Sigh....I miss home.