Going Batu

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The Batu caves have been on my list of places to visit for a while. I think it's the name more than anything.

I made a stop here on my road trip before heading for home. It's sad to think my grand adventure around the Malaysian peninsula is coming to an end. (Except, of course, that my adventure wasn't over yet, thanks to the floods.)

I found it easily and parked (for free!) and made my way in. It's one of the few temples I've been to that actually enforces the dress code, some come prepared. No knees, no shoulders, and no, a wrap isn't good enough. At least, it wasn't good enough for the lady telling off a few tourists that I happened to pass.

I made my way up the stairs. All the stairs. I stopped counting after 100. A little girl I passed was still counting after 200. (That's really more stairs than I care to count.) They were a bit slippery, and of course, being repainted, causing bottlenecks of tourists resting, climbing, and coming back down. Good times.

The temple at the top was beautiful. But a little underwhelming. Perhaps it's because I've been to India and seen plenty of Hindu temples. Maybe it's because there was rubbish scattered in the dark corners. Maybe it's because it was so dark I couldn't see much. I think after all those stairs it just felt anti-climatic. Worth the hike up? Yes. Would I do it again? Probably not.

On the way down I did my best to avoid the monkeys. The monkeys were everywhere (just like on the climb up). You could also tell everywhere they'd been, based on the trash (they steal food from people) and other little natural messes they leave behind. That blend in with the paint. That I accidentally put my hand in since it was a yellow railing and the stairs were slippery.

I found the washrooms near the parking lot and the lady in charge of collecting money threw a fit when I didn't pay her. Sorry lady, I'm washing my hands before I touch my purse or anything in it. Luckily I found one bar of soap among the 10 sinks to use. The lady seemed relieved when I paid her the twenty cents on the way out. I assure you, she wasn't as relieved as I was.

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Photos

Enter Here
Looks like someone is standing guard

The first of many, many monkeys
I don't like monkeys

Going up
And up. And up. And up...

Monkey Do
And ... somewhere, monkey doo doo

View from the top
This was worth the climb

There's more stairs?
A great view when you look up, though.