This post is a day late because the WiFi at our hotel is horrible and I just couldn’t upload anything.
Batu Caves
On Monday, we took two train rides totaling about an hour to Batu Caves. According to the 2010 census, 6.3 percent of Malaysians are Hindus. The big limestone cave with its many shrines and statues is an important holy site for Hindus. I had never been there before, and what a sight it was to behold.
The view of the imposing golden statue of Lord Murugan next to the 272-step stairs is unforgettable. Neither are the hundreds of cheeky monkeys who snatched food and beverage containers from visitors, eliciting many “Maaahmeeee!!!!” from little kids. They opened stolen bags of chips much faster than I do! Some drank straight from the bottles, and some poured the liquid out and slurped it up from the cement steps.
Statue of Lord Murugan next to the 272 steps
They are so full of character. We spent a lot of time watching them and the visitors’ reaction to them. One tugged at my bag. One tried to steal a bottle from the outer compartment of Kenric’s backpack. I snapped some good photos of one that went to sit on a lady’s lap being all cute, only to turn around and try to steal from her bag. I’ll be emailing those photos to the lady.
Surprising My Cousins in Klang
After that, we traveled for 2.5 hours by two trains and a Grab (equivalent of Uber) to Klang to surprise my cousins. Beginning at 7:45 am and through the day, my cousin and her husband with the help of two of her younger siblings, sell rice with mixed dishes. Customers can top their rice with more than 120 different dishes offered. Kenric and I would love to taste them all!
In the evening, they sell Clay Pot Chicken Rice at the restaurant we visited. My cousin’s husband made us a big pot of it. Thanks again, Fazrol! It was very delicious and we know you put in extra chicken! My cousin brother bought us delicious otak otak – grilled fish mousse wrapped in banana leaf. One other cousin came to join us but her boyfriend was already in bed because he starts work very early.
We also met Fazrol’s mom and my two little nieces (seven and six years old) before their bedtime. Yes, over here, my cousin’s daughters are considered nieces instead of “first cousins”. The girls are really lovely, and I will never be as good as they are at coloring. They still have the two Mickey Mouse we got them years ago.
Then, my cousin who helped arrange this visit dropped us off at an LRT station about 45 minutes away from the restaurant. We were back at the hotel by midnight. It was a truly wonderful evening to see my four little cousins; to see them all grown up and doing so well. To my beloved “Tung Ku”, thank you for arranging the visit. We love you, but don’t you give us a wrong address again!
Map of Places Visited
Batu Caves
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Batu Caves3.237930, 101.683000
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