28/10/12
Yesterday we arrived in KL and after a swim in the hotel pool, we had a wander around Chinatown with it’s Night Market.
Today we took a taxi to Batu Caves. The drive there including the driver waiting for us for 2 hours and then taking us back cost us 100 MR (about $33-). A giant statue of the god Shiva protects the entrance, followed by 272 steep steps to the main limestone cave, the Cathedral Cave.
Women and girls in gold and silver embroidered dresses and men and boys in white silk shirts bring offerings of milk, Peacock feathers and fruit praying at several shrines and temples. Long tailed macaque monkeys jump all over the place being fed with fruit, coconut and colourful orchid flowers.
Several couples bring their new babies to the shrines. Both the father's and the babies’ heads are covered with a yellowish clay-like substance. Maybe this is similar to our christening ceremony?
Our taxi driver had encouraged us to give some money and make a wish. If the wish comes true, then you have to return to the caves and give thanks.
At lunchtime we asked the driver to drop us of at the Central Market. We shared a Mee Goreng for lunch and wandered around admiring the local art and craft for sale.
Two water basins full of little fish drew our attention. The fish, called "doctor fish", are advertised as "therapy" and people can buy 10 or 20 minutes of sticking their feet into the basins. The shrieks of some of the “patients” were a little off-putting but brave as I am, I sacrificed my feet first. It took me a minute to work up the courage as I observed swarms of fish nibbling on other people's feet. As soon as I, and shortly after Austin, put our feet in the water - whoosh- the fish all swarmed to the "fresh meat", and it's such a tickling strange sensation, that I couldn't suppress a shrieking giggle-fit. For the first minute or two it takes quite some self-discipline to keep the feet down while the fish give your skin a good peeling and micro massage. After that we purposely withdrew our feet, only to enjoy a renewed fish-frenzy once we immersed our feet again.
29/10/12
Our flight home will leave tonight at 10.40pm, so we think it is a good opportunity for a day trip before heading off to the airport.
We asked the concierge to book a trip to Melaka (Malacca) looking forward to learn about the history of the former important trading port, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The fee for this trip seemed quite high for Malaysian standards, so our expectations were accordingly high.
Our driver arrived early and seemed friendly enough and was quite chatty.
Instead of the historic background of one of the earliest Malay sultanates, whose Monarchy ended with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1511, we were lectured about the benefits of green tea and given a full description of the guide’s bowel movements before and after green tea.
So we didn’t hear about the Dutch driving the Portuguese out in the early 17th century or the arrival of the English etc. until he dropped us of at the City’s Museum where we could obtain at least the basics.
Well that was the last day of our adventure, and we are already looking forward to cruising the canals of France with our boat in 2013.
Over and out!
Susi