Batu: Cave Exploration in Kuala Lumpur

Cave exploration? Hmm, not really. The name Batu Caves is rather misleading. They are not actually caves to explore, but rather a tourist attraction to see and photograph.

At the foot of the caves is the world’s tallest statue of the Hindu deity Murugan, which is impressive in and of itself.The 272 steps that lead to the top are made fun by the many monkey sightings along the way. The limestone caves themselves are quite lovely and impressive, especially when sunlight pours in from openings in the roof.

At the top, multiple stands sell cheap tourist items and Hindu prayer beads, as the caves are now home to a Hindu temple. It is by no means a spiritual experience, as loud music plays nonstop throughout the cave. Crowds of tourists are everywhere, photographing the temples and sculptures, and the floor is extremely dirty with poop from a thousand pigeons.

One more thing to note, this is a holy site, so you must cover your legs below the knee. Sarongs are available for rental. 

Kuala Lumpur Instagram Diary

National Library of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

The National Library of Malaysia isn’t exactly a tourist destination, but I have an interest in libraries so I made sure to visit this one in my (thankfully) brief time to Kuala Lumpur.  

First of all, I should mention that this was my second and last library visit in SE Asia. I hoped to visit a library in each country, but alas, not every country has interesting and accessible libraries, which really made me appreciate my privilege in being from the United States, where one can find decent libraries in even the tiniest of towns.

When I did an internet search on the National Library of Malaysia, I couldn’t find many photos of the interior, but the interesting roof – apparently inspired by traditional Malay headgear and pattern – piqued my interest enough to warrant a short stop.

I’ll admit that the exterior of the building is vastly more impressive than the interior, which is basic and obviously dated. However, I was particularly amused by the subtle patters on the elevator, bookshelves,  and chairs. It had a Nordic look to me.

At the time I visited, there was an exhibition on traditional Malay navigation texts and maps. I had a quick walk through the giant ship gallery and stared at the illegible texts for a few minutes. The library is full of many unintentional humors. For example, the mannequins in the Malay text exhibit were all wearing outrageous wigs. There was a short video playing from a flat screen, which showed some of the library’s achievements over the past few years, but it was set to heavy metal music. There was also a brand new digital library, which boasted dozens of touch screen computers, but no one was there.

Lastly, I will note that no photography is allowed inside the library, which may explain why there are so few pictures of the interior online. However, I am a renegade and habitual law-breaker, so I bring you all the photos of the library!

Exterior of the library

The famous roof and the flag of Malaysia

Staircases inside

A view of the top floor

Interesting geometric patterns can be found everywhere

The elevator pattern

Bookshelf patterns

Chair fabric patterns

The ship exhibition of Malay texts

Some books on display

Propaganda poster

Bus From Kuala Lumpur to Penang

Beware: The Alisan bus!

The train from Kuala Lumpur to Penang was sold out for the day I wanted to leave, so I decided to make the journey by bus. The bus had many advantages. Unlike the train, which would leave at 3:00 pm and arrive in Butterworth station at 10:00 pm, the bus leaves nearly every hour. I could ride it in the morning and check into the hotel at a reasonable hour. It also takes less time, only 4.5 hours, as opposed to the train, which takes 7 hours. I heard that the bus rides were comfortable with AC and even wifi. It was also possible to book them a day in advance, or even right before travel (though I don’t like to leave things to the last minute). Unfortunately, my bus ride with Alisan Buses was not what we expected.

The night before I went to Puduraya Bus Terminal and bought my ticket from the Alisan counter. There were many scalpers trying to sell tickets at the elevators but I ignored them and proceeded straight to the ticket counter on the top floor. I booked directly at the Alisa counter. At 38 ringits, it was less than I expected.The bus was scheduled to leave at 10:45 the next morning.

Inside the bus 

I arrived at the platform at 10:30. The bus rolled up right at 10:45 and by 11:04 we departed. Things seem to go smoothly, until the AC kicked out and it because miserably hot. The windows couldn’t be opened, so after only a few minutes, I was literally dripping sweat onto the seat cushion. I didn’t even want to lean back into my seat because my back was so wet with sweat. At 11:45 we stopped at the Batu Caves, not the touristy side, but an unremarkable dirt road with nothing around. The bus driver said we would take “a 15 minute break.” I wondered why we needed a break when we weren’t even an hour outside of KL, but I was hoping they would fix the AC. We disembarked the bus, hoping to find a bathroom or a drink stand, but there was nothing but car lots and temples. When I circled the block, I saw the bus turned around and was driving away!

I ran behind the bus, it was moving slowly so I could catch up with it. After 10 minutes of following the bus, it stopped near a gas station. I used the bathroom and got back on. The AC still didn’t work and it was even hotter in the afternoon sun. 20 minutes passed. More people got on. The bus then drove back to the point where it dropped us off, and more people got on. All but one. We were missing someone. The bus started circling the block, looking for the missing person. And the AC was still out. After nearly an hour of this slow painful drive, the bus pulled in front of a McDonalds and the driver told everyone to get out “for 30 minutes.” He offered no explanation but I figured they were going to look for the missing guy and fix the AC. That was 12:45, two hours after we departed the bus terminal in Kuala Lumpur.

I should have been mad. I should been worried. But somehow I focused on the positive: At McDonalds, we are indoors, shielded from sunlight, mosquitos, and smog. We have AC and I was able to dry my sweaty body. We are sitting at a table with chairs. There are free bathrooms with toilet paper and soap and working hand drivers (that’s more than I can say for the vast majority of bathroom in KL). There’s food (and it’s sanitary at that). There’s even wifi. At least we are not squatting on the dirty ground outside in the heat.

We are at a McDonalds.

That’s the positive.

The negatives is that  we were at that McDonald’s for 4  hours.
Eventually we got back on the now freezing cold bus and made it to Penang. Just after 10:00 pm. Cruelly, it was the same time I would have arrived by train. 

My view for 4 hours

My other view for 4 hours

KFC Malaysia

I hoped to avoid American fast food temptations on this trip. Asia has such an abundance of delicious cuisines to offer, why would I ever walk into a fast food chain for something I can get back home?

Well, thanks to the lack of option in JB Sentral station in Johor Bahru, I was forced to line up at the KCF in Malaysia for breakfast.

First of all, I didn’t even know that KFC served breakfast, in Malaysia or the U.S.. This was probably very naïve of me. I also didn’t know that there was KFC in Malaysia, which was also naïve because in this country, where most of the inhabitants are either Muslims or Hindus, chicken is the meat of choice.

I also didn’t know that KFC would have unique offerings for Malaysia. I should have known better because I’ve been tracking McDonald’s unique offerings all over the world, and I fell in love with KFC in Seoul the first time I visited in 2007.

Well, KFC Malaysia is in its own class of deliciousness.

For breakfast I ordered the Chicken Porridge, a delicious congee with fried chicken, friend onions, green onion, and spices. It was seriously more delicious and more sanitary than any congee you will find on the streets here.

The next item I sampled was the Chicken Twister, which is like a breakfast burrito. Tortilla, fried chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and spices. It was also one of the best burritos I have ever had.

Guess where I will be eating breakfast from now on?