Another thing to check off my "been there, done that" list: Going to Batu Caves for Thaipusam.
For the first time in my life, I've finally bothered to get off my ass to go get this "Malaysian Cultural Experience" out of the way. Once in a lifetime is right - it's the first and last time I'm ever doing this.
Woke up at about 6.45 a.m., showered, dressed and drove to the train station to meet my cousin and her Canadian friend, Guillaume (who wasn't too happy about waking up at that godforsaken hour, either - since they had only just got back from Pangkor yesterday).
Took the train down to KL Sentral and took the KTM Komuter (which I haven't been on for YEARS) over to Sentul station. We found out last night that there's a train that goes directly to Batu Caves from Sentul that's only open during Thaipusam. Paid RM2.20 each way for a 15 minute ride (which felt longer, really) on a very old (but clean, thank goodness) KTM passenger train which brings me back to my childhood memory of taking the KTM from KL to Alor Setar...
It was still pretty early when we got there (8, 9 something), and there was even a fun fair (ferris wheel and everything) and what seemed to be hundreds of stalls and booths selling stuff ranging from Indian sweets to a car dealership booth that takes bookings for the new Proton. Despite the calls for boycotting the Batu Caves celebrations, the crowds still arrive in droves. Either they didn't get the message, or decided that it's cheaper to just go to Batu Caves than to leave town to observe Thaipusam.
The infamous steps was divided into 3 lanes: left lane for non-kavadi carrying persons, middle lane for those with the kavadis, and the right lane for everyone (with or without kavadis) to go down. There were photographers and cameras snapping and flashing everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. The lengths photographers took to get the shot.
So yeah, we did the 272-step trek up the mountainside, down the stairs inside the cave, up the stairs to the altar, and ALL the way back down again; about 600 steps, easily. Exercise quota for the day - way over. In theory those steps are not insurmountable, it's just the angle and the steps themselves, they were not enough for me to every other step. My legs were going weak on the way down those steps; I was afraid I'd lose my footing on account on my big feet and roll the rest of the way down. Would've been faster too, I reckon, haha. And that's not including the trek we did in the nearby industrial area to find something to eat that's not mamak or Indian.
Ended up at this new age-y kopitiam where we had miniscule spring rolls, keropok lekor, and toasted buttered bread with kaya. My teh bing was not made with sweetened condensed milk, it was made with just MILK... or something like that.
Check out the people going up those steps...
Before that cousin got a call from her dad, saying that HE'S on his way there (never heard that he intended to go there); which is just as well cos my cousin's camera decided to conk out on her and even after unloading previous photos, the camera says that the card has no memory. What a pity. So we experienced Thaipusam at Batu Caves with our own senses: eyes, ears, nose (haha) and camera phones. And we waited for my uncle to come by the same train to swap memory cards or something like that. By the time we got back into town it was only 1 in the afternoon.
Return train ticket from Batu Caves to Sentul - couldn't hang on to it as they collect it when you board the train.
We then went down to Sungei Wang and Low Yat cos Guillaume wanted to find something. They wanted to go also see the towers (KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers), but everyone was so knackered it was easier to just go back. But cous and I went back first cos he wanted to go back to one of the shops to haggle over something, so we did and I drove us to the KFC in Atria for a really late lunch before dropping her off and I, on my way home.
