Monkey business at the Batu Caves.....day #4.

 Another day to appreciate the tourist complexities of Kuala Lumpur. Usually by the third or fourth

Batu Caves,  294 steps and a golden deity...

day in a large city I am beginning to have some sense of direction and starting to use the bus or subway systems with ease, to facilitate movement to and from my hotel base. It is with some frustration that I can sense this sense of orientation has not yet kicked in for me yet in KL. The city is a maze of small streets that wind and twist chaotically---apparently the colonial masters who early on designed & administered the city, had no comprehension of the demands of the modern tourist!
           Today my agenda was the Batu caves. In this case very simple--- take bus #173 (40 minute ride, less than 70 cents each way) from just outside my hotel door and ride it to the end of the line-----upon arrival, look for a massive cliff adorned by a 100ft. high golden Hindu statue. Even I, could not miss it!!
           Batu is billed as a major Hindu shrine, and according to the bill-board at the entrance, attracts 3 million pilgrims for a major festival every January---this seems an enormous number to me, for a city supposedly having a total population of just 2 million. Kind of glad that I am not here next

Ain't that cute......

month to experience this mass of humanity. People-wise today, it was most comfortable for my visit---no crowding or line-ups. The holy shrines are located 294 steps up the cliff face within a series of cliff cave systems. This morning was exceptionally hot in KL, with the sun blazing out of clear skies and I can tell you that ascending those 294 steps demanded full effort to attain the top. Many of the tourist visitors were clearly at their physical limits on the steps & I could not help wondering how a health emergency would be handled. I did not see any emergency facilities--but perhaps I'm just being a nervous nelly westerner. The whole Batu caves site is currently under-going major renovations. My heart-felt sympathy went out to the labourers, some of whom appeared to be middle aged, who are employed to carry the 50lb bags of cement up the 294 steps on their backs, so as to maintain the construction project.
           Truly awesome in its proportions, the actually temple within the major large cave is rather disappointing, with little to see. The comedy for the occasion was supplied by the

Moon over the Central Market---KL.

hundreds of macaque monkeys that inhabit the caves and cliffs at Batu. To some, they are obviously pests. Totally, without fear of humans, the monkeys are very quick to grab at hats, hand-bags and likely cell phones and cameras as well! At major risk of attack is any person with food being transported in plastic bags. I witnessed one poor man tag teamed by a couple of large animals who quickly ripped apart his food bags. The monkeys are not without danger to humans and  I was told that frequently tourists suffer bites. Not pleasant. Even the thunder-clap fireworks deployed frequently by the official monkey control officer, only seemed to scatter them for a short time before they returned to their "monkey business".