To the Batu Caves!

Jo and I woke up in the bunker, hot as Hades, and set the course for the day. To the Caves! We have meandered the streets of KL, not really sure where we're going, but certain we'll get there. There is a telecom needle here like in Seattle, only they just call it the Tower. It serves as an awesome directional point. Our guesthouse is between the Twin Towers and the Tower so when lost all we do is look up.

Finally to Chinatown for the bus to the caves, we skirted the wares and braved the sellers of the Petaling market district. Who knew you could get a fake Gucci watch for $40, walk away, walk back, walk away, walk back and walk away again with it on your arm with the band fitted to your size for $5?!? And if anyone wants a pirated DVD, this is the place!

The number 11D bus makes the 13 km trip out of KL to the caves. We found the bus and ran to the 7-11 (talk about an international company) for a quick snack, only to return to find the driver had left us. Buses leave fairly regularly, so no worries. Quick warning: don't sit in the last seat of the bus. Going over one of the many speed bumps, you may find yourself in the lap of your neighbor.

At the caves site, a huge golden Hindu Buddha stands at the gate, almost as high as the staircase leading into the caves. It's enormous. Up 250+ steps to a series Hindu temples, prayer services are offered twice daily. Incense and mist hangs in the air as do many stalagmites. The mood inside is peaceful and serious, a place for prayer and to show thanks. I had a personal moment there, one of reassurance and comfort.

Two flights down from the top, you can also enter the dark cave. With Wellington boots, head lamps and Jerome, our guide, we trekked into the darkness. Three kinds of bats greet you as you walk along. None blood-thirsty. And there are cockroaches everywhere, but not the ones who fly. The cockroaches are sun-sensitive and will die in the light. Nice to know there is one thing that could wipe out at least one species of cockroaches.

Further into the cave, Jerome showed us stalagmites and stalactites and the columns they form upon joining. He also shared several stories of lore, a couple coming to the caves for their honeymoon, never to be heard from again. Certain parts of the cave are millions of years old. Unbelievable. And the path you walk along used to be a river. Jerome asked us how we liked Malaysia, to which both of us responded with favor. He retorted that we obviously hadn't been there long. Funny. He's from Malaysia but finds it difficult, restrictive. The Muslim religion apparently trumps all. If a Muslim wants to marry a person outside that faith, the person must convert (unless the couple goes to a different country). Jerome is Christian and I'm guessing in a minority. He also confided that the Chinese and Indians are the ones who do all the work. Hmm. Who knows? It's good to hear the perspective of someone here, and an expression of dissent. I got the feeling that in Thailand you could speak your mind, but only about certain things, one of which wasn't the government. I am learning. I am listening. And I'm fascinated. We are each and every one unique. Whether a 28 year-old tour guide and spelunker, or a 17 year-old Iranian, our opinions vary far and wide, each of us an exception in some way.