We took an optional day tour to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It's a big, modern city from the looks of it. The twin PETRONAS Towers, or KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center) are one of the largest joined sets of towers in the world.
On the way into town, we sidetracked to the Batu Caves, a big Buddhist temple set up in a huge cave up on a hill. This golden statue at the base of the stairs to the cave is HUGE!
Looking up the stairs to climb to get to the shrines in the caves. There are something like 276 stairs to get to the cave and more to get to the shrines inside, a total of 365 steps.
Monkeys were all along the stairs to the caves.
Tiny clay saucers were smashed and broken just behind the bannisters of the stairs. People put offerings in them but they don't last long.
Mama monkey with baby's tail hanging out.
Statues and stactites at the top of the stairs.
Colorful shrines to many different gods were all over inside, built into nooks and crannies in the cave walls.
Another shrine in the cave entrance.
John from Kailani coming up the stairs inside the cave.
Karen next to a big rock formation inside the cave.
Lyn off
Out of the Blue II and Karen in front of a shrine where the light made everything look gold.
Jason leaning on a stalactite in the cave/shrine.
A local dressed for prayer, with colorful chalk or powder on him. If you gave a donation, you could get a dot of color on your forehead.
Bummer that this is blurry, but it is the Monkey God Shrine in the cave. Reminded me of the Wizard of Oz characters.....spooky.
A view from the top of Batu Cave at the entrance.
Another view from Batu Cave entrance, with the head of the giant Shiva Buddha statue in view.
Monkeys playing.
Tiny newborn monkey suckling on the bannister.
At the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory, we saw this display of old pewter animals once used as money. Imagine paying for something with a crocodile and getting an elephant, turtle or money tree in change.
A replica of the PETRONAS Twin Towers made of pewter beer mugs.
A sliver and pewter pheasant in the showroom--very pretty and ornate.
Jason and Karen in the huge pewter beer mug outside the factory. Dive in and drink your way to the top!
A scale model of Kuala Lumpur, past, present and future. It is in a room in a tourist stop and it lights up like the city at night. Pretty amazing in its accuracy.
Fine woodworking and carving is another known skill in this area. The city gallery has a small observation area where we could watch the artisans hand carve these detailed scenes from wood. Very intricate and delicate. It would be nice if you could get them home and had a place to display them, but not on a boat.
Karen with a Santa statue in front of a view of the skyline of Kuala Lumpur done in carved wood.
The giant Buddha statue at the base of the stairs at Batu Cave, the Hindu shrine just outside downtown Kuala Lumpur. It is truly huge!
More intricate, colorful statues on the roof. The gold is the bottom of the staff of the giant statue next to it.
This baby monkey is so new you can still see the umbilical cord hanging. No such thing as privacy in the monkey world.
Jason and Karen up in the shrine in the top of Batu Cave.
Looking up at the giant statue.
I love Kuala Lumpur (or is that KL for Karen Lynch?)
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