It might have been a late night, but Kuala Lumpur waits for no one. Around 5:30 in the morning, we heard the low, murmuring call over nearby loudspeakers. It was the mosque's morning call to prayer. It continued on in Arabic for a good 8 minutes before us infidels could return to sleep. It didn't last long as another KL institution soon followed around 6:30, the construction company. By 7 am, ready or not, we were up organizing our day.
Breakfast was served soon after. To my chagrin (and likely Mer's reprieve), there was only toast and coffee for breakfast forgoing our continued morning regime of eggs. There was, however, a nice cinnamon butter for spreading. I think I ate half a loaf.
Since Billy and Mun had a previous commitment, Mer took the window to take me to what I wanted to see, the Batu caves. We had to walk back to the commercial and transport hub that was KL Sentral. We walked back through the mall and to the transportation spot where we exited the Ekspres to find the Komuter line just across from it.
(Now, if you're noticing my misspellings as near English, you're noticing the same as I did. This is Malay that also uses our same Roman letters as some words mimic its English counterpart. Other words are nowhere close, but I could at least fake-read as opposed to the Thai 'bean sprouts' [not my words] that I couldn't even guess at reading.)
So, after getting our tickets, we had a 20 minute wait before we boarded the light rail that would take us to the caves.
Once we arrived, we very quickly were amongst tourists and the faithful that equally faced the great climb up.
And so, up we went. There was some dodging of fellow climbers up and down. We had to take some breaks. And there were the monkeys.
Thanks to a generous supply of bananas and coconuts for sale below and above as well as a swell of folks looking to offer their fruits to the Hanuman likenesses, there was no shortage of primates around.
The top featured a shrine atop where many gathered with incense and their offerings.
There were some cool views from the top with nature involved too.
It should also be noted the aviary appearances as well. Joining their monkey allies were uninvited pigeons and invited roosters. It made for a mix of both sounds and smells at the top.
Satisfied with our views and pictures, we started our descent zig-zagging tourists and monkeys to get down.
At the bottom, we jockeyed for position to get our picture in front of the golden statue too.
Also, more monkeys.
There was another set of caves that cost another 5 ringgit each ($1.25) to enter. We were drawn to the fountain.
But really the cave turned out to be amazing. Inside was the figurine telling of the Ramayana, a tale we'd heard throughout SE Asia in different ways in each country, and now to be told in Malaysia. I could only describe it as Hindu Disneyland.
I enjoyed reading each caption with the accompanying figurine portrayal. There was also a stairway to climb, but with little to see.
We climbed back down and finished the story. Afterward, we exited and I had to pose with whom I feel is the real hero of the story, the monkey-deity, Hanuman.
We then made the long, but easy way back to KL Sentral. There we returned to our small, yet efficient place to shower and wait to meet up with Billy and Mun for the afternoon.
It is here I'll mention what I've noticed already in Kuala Lumpur specifically and Malaysia generally: the ease of diversity here. Ethnic Malays mix with Chinese and Indians seamlessly. Here, Buddhism and Islam coexist. I won't be naive and assume there is no racism nor that skin color is invisible. Yet, there are people here that appear so different, not just from me, but from each other, that have wildly different beliefs and expectations and yet there appears to be no disharmony. They're all here with no outward separation or distance beyond what is chosen. Mer said this was the most diverse, inclusive place she's ever been. I'm now inclined to the same viewpoint.
My moment of philosophy allowed time for Billy and Mun to pick us up for the afternoon (at least for story purposes). They met us outside our hotel and brought us out for lunch. Today's cuisine was fish soup. It was a ground fish formed into strips with veggies in a condensed milk broth. That description doesn't appetize me, but it was very good.
At lunch, we had a cat that kept roaming around. It was clearly domesticated as it meowed at us and others. My naughty accomplice may have fed it from her bowl. Later, I pushed my luck and tried to call it only to have the cat jump on my lap. It belonged to someone. Which is also why the owners eventually swatted it out.
After lunch, we loaded back into the car and drove across town to a mall. There we went to a coffee and cake place. We each got a cake with a drink. Although Mer talked some Amway stories, it was really interesting hearing about Billy and Mun's multilingualism. Billy's native tongue is English while Mun spoke Cantonese. But there's Malay, Mandarin, and Japanese in there too. Pretty incredible.
After our snack, we headed out again for a site I was interested in, the Petronas Towers. Dinner was in the plans too, but we were all full from our late lunch and cake. Again, this trip involved a mall. This time, the highest of class in Kuala Lumpur. We emerged at one exit, only to be exactly at the base. Oh, and it was pouring out. Billy suggested another way out that would afford a better view. So we traversed the mall again before emerging from another set of doors. This view was much better, despite the rain and mist.
Billy said that in the newest installment of Independence Day, these towers get destroyed. Obviously, our trip has overlapped its release a few weeks ago. I'll look for it once we get back to movie releases. In the mean time, I convinced Mer to head out into the rain to attempt a nighttime selfie in front of a lighted structure. In other words, great picture not optimal.
We then went in to dry off and continued our venturing. There was a cool interactive science museum that was unfortunately closed. But we could play the video monitor piano. And we could take a great selfie shot.
We also spent some time in a bookstore. Billy and Mun both could have spent a long while there. Mer and Billy originally bonded over the Hunger Games books. And Mun really likes original Japanese novels (not translated ones). Both Mer and I are excited to get some book reading in upon our return. Interesting note, all the books in the store are wrapped. There'd be no lounging and perusing a la Barnes and Noble.
Soon, it was after 9 and we hadn't eaten yet. Just as we turned to do so, all the restaurants in the immense mall complexes were closing. After a long winding hoping to find something open, we evacuated all mall hope and drove our way to a still open street spot in the Golden Triangle. Mun negotiated a couple plates to share. As we ate, a different animal pestered our meal. This time, a way less cute rat. As I chased him away again and again (Mun was not a fan of the guy that was as big as my foot) the restaunteur noted the guy had gumption. He no longer feared humans. After the 4th time chasing him away with stomping feet, I understood.
We ate our late meal with the last bits of energy. It was nearly midnight and we were all tired. We agreed to a later start tomorrow so we could all get some sleep.
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