Quick, Robin... to the Batu Cave!

This morning, I decided to head to the Batu Caves, just outside of KL. They can be reached by bus from Chinatown or by taxi. Since my guidebook indicated that it was best to be there before dawn to beat the crowds, I decided a taxi was better than standing around Chinatown at 6am.

As I was walking out of the hotel a little later than planned, I realized that I did not have enough money for a taxi. So I headed to the ATM next door, only to find that it was out of order. I ran back inside the hotel to explain that the ATM was broken and to ask where I could find another. The clerk at the front desk cheerfully pointed me to the ATM that I had already been to. I explained again that this machine was broken and could he point me to another. He then proceeded to explain that I could go to this machine next door and it would give me money. Agh!

After another few rounds at bat, I got him to point out another ATM, which happened to be immediately across the street. How foolish of me to have missed this! And I knew that this machine would work since someone was using it at that very moment. I once again risked life and limb to cross the street, only to find that this ATM had now also ceased to work.

Sometimes, it feels like someone is trying to tell you something... like all the ATMs in KL are broken. No, wait, that's not it. Maybe it was that I should not worry about trying to beat the crowds, and now that it was light out, I should try the bus.

The two metros and the bus to the caves turned out to be reasonably simple to figure out and I even met a nice student that I talked with on the bus. It was just nice to have some human interaction after spending a few days in a city crowded with people too busy to talk. And, as you can see from the pictures, there were no major crowds when I reached the caves.

So, about the caves... The caves were discovered in the late 19th century and shortly thereafter, a Hindu shrine was erected inside. The giant golden statue of Subramanian was erected much more recently.



There are 272 steps to reach the cave. That is 16 flights of 17 stairs each.







Stopping to take pictures like the one on the left is a good excuse to take a break mid-climb.

Once you reach the gate at the top of the stairs, you step down into the cave and then up some more stairs to one of the small temples at the back of the cave. I am not sure that the following pictures really do justice to the size of these caves.

And of course, the obligatory view from the top...

All in all a very worthwhile effort to reach these caves. They were beautiful and since most people were respectful in the temple, they were a quiet escape from the city.