Malaysia

Good morfternoonening. (Typo? New word? Or just another Mike-ism? Hmmm…)

We have spent the last two days in Malaysia. It is very hot here, but throwing caution to the wind, we set out on our first excursion. Destination, the Batu Caves of Lumpur.

This unique attraction is a large statue of a Hindu God near the entrance to a cave complex overlooking the city of Lumpur, Malaysia. The statue is located at the base of some 272 colorful steps.

To reach the cave, one must brave an army of thieving little chaos monkeys guarding the steps. It is quite the gauntlet.

Midway up the steps affords a nice view of my fellow monkey dodgers.

Once on top, entering the cave reveals the remaining challenges.

A constant drip of water from the roof of the cave cools one down, but attracts mosquitoes…

Once back safe on the ground, a quick look about at the other attractions was in order.

Grabbing a bite of the local cuisine was high on the agenda too.

Some site seeing was in order during the drive home.

Including a quick visit to the world’s tallest twin towers.

On our last day in Malaysia, we visited Penang. First stop, old town.

A street artist made his art using rod iron. He had art all over town.

Followed by a visit to a Chinese village and a Buddhist Temple.

When entering a Buddhist Temple, one is expected to bow at the door. Apparently westerners often do not respect this tradition. To combat this disrespect, Monks simply added a tallish wooden wall that you need to step over when entering their temples. As you raise your knee to step over, generally you will automatically look down to ensure that you do not trip, hence, bowing before you go into the temple. (You’ll find these steps on all Bhuddist Temples. Wise old monks…)

Next stop, Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple of Seberang Jaya, the largest temple in Malaysia.

Then, a tour of town…

…on our way the oldest part of town, a 1,000 year old village on stilts. Because it is on the water, and not the land, they have never had to pay taxes!

All in all, Malaysia was a bit on the hot side, and we were very grateful for our couple of days here. Next stop, Sri Lanka. Hope to see you back for that story too.

Thank you for checking in.
– Mike
”There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” – Robin S. Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari