Let the climb begin! Up n’ down Batu Caves : a popular hill-top Indian worship temple

 

Throughout the past month, I've been playing host to many caucasian buddies of mine here in Malaysia.

December felt like a month of not only sharing & introducing Malaysia, my culture, my lifestyle, my food and my people to friends from abroad but also getting more in touch with my own country on a totally different level.

 

Believe it or not, being a constant tour guide does have its profound impacts on a local. 

I can vouch for that in its entirety. 

 

But to be honest, being a tour guide/host is not an easy streak as constantly going out and about to never-ending places of interest is more than likely to render me strapped for cash; draining my wallet of its dosh. $$$$$$$

 

En route to Batu Caves!

 

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy it regardless – well proven with my 1st Australian guest I hosted last month.

So…. bring on round #4 of bringing foreigners around in a month! 

 

Batu Caves, the 400 million year old sacred Indian hilltop temple of worship

was one of the touristy destinations I took 'em all to

 

That 140 feet Lord Muruga statue we have is the tallest statue of its kind in the world! ๐Ÿ™‚ *proud*

Currently it's not so pretty as they are re-doing paintworks – hence construction scaffoldings around it.

 

Birds will flock together in unbelievable amounts! 

I've seen the entire walkway covered with a sea of birds on certain evenings

 

Oooh tiny boy chasing pengui – – wait, I totally meant pigeons.

Honest mistake there. Unbackspaced for shits and giggles 

Anyway, I've been frequenting Batu Caves so many times in a month that I think I could totally climb up the stairs in under 5 minutes now. It's not exactly that tough, trust me 

300 steps all in all – 272 steps to get up there and another 20ish steps inside the cave.

 

But seriously, please, what can 300 do to you?

 

Oh wait…. right. 

 

*gulp*

 

Right, so…. the next time I pay a visit to Batu Caves will be to bring le boyfie for the (much dreaded) staircase hike, the Ramayana cave, the Dark Cave tour, the Indian blessings and to simply witness the picturesque sights of KL & the Klang Valley from up above

 

Only a halfway mark? I kid you not.

 

What's also wonderful at Batu Caves is the fact that you will see so many tourists/foreigners/expatriates flock from all over the world; curious to know the ongoings within the walls of our sacred cave. 

 

My Aussieguests Allyce & Lauren attempting the climb!

 

Armed with their cameras of all sorts, maps and escalated enthusiasm, people of different races and religion come to this limestone hill which bears home to arguably the most popular Hindu shrine in South East Asia. 

 

Incidentally, I made few new friends up on the steps too

This is Anamika. She hails from India and is in Malaysia for a holiday & to pay her respects to Hindu Lord Murugan

 

Finally arrived the peak! Batu Caves beckons us

 

Amazing view of nature from waaaaay up here!

 

And part of the Klang Valley from the look out spot

 

inside the main cave of Batu Caves – the Cathedral/Temple cave!

 

Stalactites and stalagmites come in abundance!

 

 

So much more to see inside! Ancient Indian paintings line the walls of this enclosure 

Intricate statues and devotees getting their blessings by the Indian monks as they murmur spiritual incantations and sprinkle by holy water onto them are not to be missed! I watched closely too :D

 

Not gonna show you anymore – you have to see for yourself!

So here's a photo of the staircase as we head back down to the foot of the hill again

 

David – my Swede buddy and I having a refreshing coconut drink after the climb

 

Insane amount of pigeons were still around!

 

Cave visitors and devotees often buy food to offer these pigeons

 

 

I shall now award this t-shirt to a specific someone

 

TO THE PIGEON WHISPERER

 

Amongst the flock was a rather aggressive – AND HUNGRY – monkey

 

Who I felt was rather indignant that they get all the food and he doesn't

 

He took some for himself

 

Correction : took ALL the food to himself

 

And the birds soon surrounded him. Hah! You're outnumbered now, lil monkey ๐Ÿ˜› ๐Ÿ˜›

It was quite the spectacle, if I do say so myself. A funny sight to see although eventually, more visitors started to bear them more food. That certainly put an end to the food wars LOL!

 

Batu Caves has never failed to be an experience for me.

Neither will it ever be for anyone – both believers or non-believers! :D

 

Here's to hoping that the paintworks on the Lord Murugan statue will be finished and the scaffoldings will be taken away by the time I bring le boyfie to visit. He arrives Malaysia in 3 days!! *eggcited*

Comments

14 responses to “Let the climb begin! Up n’ down Batu Caves : a popular hill-top Indian worship temple”

  1. Malaryx Avatar
    Malaryx

    Awesome shots Jess!
    Did u say 5 mins to go up?? My knees go weak wen I saw those steps . . I rather feed the
    pigeons n monkeys from da base. : )

    1. thejessicat Avatar

      Awww thankeww! ๐Ÿ™‚
      Yeah well 5 minutes if u RUN UP hahaha. I think it will take averagely 15-20 minutes in constant, normal walking speed to get up there.

      LOL there are heaps of people entertaining the pigeons n monkeys anyway so it’ll be fun too! ๐Ÿ˜€

  2. Jules Avatar

    Great shooting ๐Ÿ™‚ Nice blog, glad I stumbled onto your cyberspace this evening! Cheers and Happy New Year from a Malaysian in faraway Abu Dhabi …

    1. thejessicat Avatar

      Thanks yo! How did you stumble onto my blog by the way? ๐Ÿ™‚
      And a very happy nu year to u too! What are u doing so far away in Arab though? Interesting!

  3. edwinKST Avatar
    edwinKST

    thejessicat says : “But seriously, please, what can 300 do to you?”

    Spartan King Leonidas says “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED”

    threethumbsup* saves me the trouble of going there now with your pictures to show. but i would like to record my time going up the stairs for sure.

    p.s. i heard you can get rm4 milk bottles there. hmmmm.

    1. thejessicat Avatar

      NO! U MUST GO TO SEE IT FOR URSELF!!!
      Don’t just feed on my pictures here, it wont make u full ๐Ÿ˜€ Challenge urself up the hill and into the temples and into the dark cave! Gogogo!

      Also, rageface.jpg on the milk.
      Screw you T___T

  4. panda Avatar
    panda

    5 minutes? *respect*

    it took me 1/2 hour (or was it 45 min??) to reach the top….

    yes, my stamina is that bad T.T

    1. thejessicat Avatar

      Yeah! 5 minutes if I run up!
      But if NORMAL PACED WALKING, it will take me about 15 minutes.

      But if i stop to take photos or rest, then different story la ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Chriso Avatar

    I am a Malaysian from Malaysia and I’m so impressed!

  6. Chan Avatar
    Chan

    Wow Batu caves!!

    1. thejessicat Avatar

      Yeah Batu Caves!

  7. peacemusicbabe Avatar

    Batu Caves! Living in KL for so many years yet I have never been to Batu Caves #fail. I love your blog, it is so real and funny at the same time =D

    1. thejessicat Avatar

      Then u totally have to give it a try! ๐Ÿ™‚ Make a trip up there with ur friends! Ur gonna love it
      And awww thanks so much fo the sweet words ^___^ Keep reading! <3

  8. […] Climbed up Batu Caves for the first time with some Aussiemates & Swedemates […]

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