Batu Caves, and Saying Goodbye to KL

I awoke early for a planned departure at 7 am. Once the group was all up and together, we called a Grab (the local ride-hailing app) to take us to the Batu Caves. Even as the car approached the temple, the limestone mountain loomed ahead of us. Upon stopping I was immediately wowed by the vivid color and intricate stonework. Next, I realized that monkeys were scampering all around the temples and between the tourists on the ground. Doing my best not to antagonize the monkeys, our group walked over to the base of the colorful stairs leading up into the cave itself. A massive golden statue (140ft) of Murugan towered over us to the right, and as we began working our way upward, monkeys waiting on railings almost gave the impression that they were ushering us in. Towards the top, the beautiful limestone formations came into clear view. We were all starting to feel the growing heat and exertion by the time we entered the shade of the cave.

The interior was cavernous, with vaulted ceilings giving way to the occasional window of light and greenery. Statues of various Hindu deities were tucked into the sides of the cave, with a number of ornate buildings along the left side of the wide open base. One temple seemed particularly important, with a ceremony actively in progress. It had an inner shrine and music much like the Hindu temple I had found myself in two days ago, but the small inner room was a small polished crevice of the cave, covered in beautiful golden paint. The whole bottom of the cave, just about everything within reach of people, was covered in plaster, presumably to protect (what was left of) the original cave walls from human hands and moisture. After taking in the incredible interior for some time, continuing to find colorful Hindu scenes tucked away in the various corners the whole time, we made our way back down the stairs. The heat of the day had caught up to us at this point, and the monkeys had all abandoned their positions on the stairs for shadier spots. Intent on seeing all we could of the beautiful architecture and artwork, we wandered through two nearby temples located near the base of the stairs. Filled with statues of other deities and more beautiful shrines, every corner we turned revealed another delicious feast for the eyes. Near the edge of the temple complex, there was a massive (50ft!) statue of Hanuman, a part cow deity shown opening his own chest. All in awe of the beautiful complex and the spectacles contained within, we departed to the nearby train station and caught a train back towards the hostel.

After arriving back at the hostel, we all took a quick rest and then headed back out into the city. Interested in something calm, we elected to go to a local art store in a mall, where we could make our own batik paintings. A popular local style, batik is akin to watercolor, but with a first pass of wax lines placed over the canvas. These lines prevent the water and color from flowing past them, keeping colors contained and making it a little easier for a beginner such as myself to create a clear picture. After a little time working, I was happy with what I created, but then unfortunately touched the back, allowing the still wet pigment to cross the wax border via my finger and create a small green stain. Still entirely content with my first try, I had the shop workers dry and prepare my piece to take with me. We then explored the mall for a little longer before regrouping with some others back at the hostel for dinnertime. We got a small Chinese meal (where a cute cat made a quick cameo) before walking around for a little longer and going for some drinks as several of us were leaving the next day, including myself. After a few hours of dancing and live music, I headed back to the hostel for the last time, already bracing for my train headed to the Thai border the next day.