Kuala Lumpur - some first and lasting impressions.

Kuala Lumpur - old and new.

These new apartment blocks are typical of those springing up all over the city.
However, the infrastructure is not developing at the same rapid rate. This and the next photo show the consequences of inadequate storm drains during a late afternoon cloudburst.
But on the outskirts of the city many local pockets of low-rise housing continue to hold their own.

Downtown, a few examples of Colonial elegance still survive. Mostly former public buildings.
And the city continues to build lavish public edifices...

The National MosqueThe Court HouseThe National Monument.
While close to the "Muddy Banks" where Kuala Lumpur began ...

...the world famous Petronas Towers

...are proud to fly the Malaysian flag at their entrance.

A wonderful diversity of ethnicity and religions.

With our hosts, Rene and Lucas, at The Old Smoke House, Fraser's Hill.

Lucas dressed for business.

Young Sikh party-goer.

Sikh women at the gurdwara (temple).

Young men feeding fish during their lunch break at Batu Caves.

Hindu family at Batu Caves.
The baby's head has been shaved and painted with clay to thank the gods for her safe arrival in this world.

Man carrying boxes of bottled water up the 272 steps at Batu Caves.

Elderly Hindu woman who had also climbed those steps.

Muslim children just home from school.

Skilled Malaysian worker at the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory.


Female Muslim market inspectors in the China Town district.


Construction workers (mostly Indonesian or Tamils.)
waiting for transport home after a long day's work.

Chinese Dragon dancers entertain China Town shoppers.

While Chinese Lion dancers bringing good fortune to a local supermarket ....

Loudly accompanied by the beating of drums and cymbals.

Thousands of motorcycles.

Wearing your windcheater back to front seems to be the fashion.

Hope he can see where he's going.

Muslim girl power.

A family outing.

And, of course, those city dwelling monkeys.

Batu Caves and Thaipusam Hindu Festival

For both of us the highpoint of the trip, besides getting to know Rene and Lucas, was the Hindu Thaipusam festival held at Batu Caves on the edge of the city. As more than a million worshipers were due to show up from all over Southeast Asia for this annual three day event, we made a preliminary visit to the site a couple of days before the festival began, while it was still relatively uncrowded.

Batu Caves

At the bottom of the hill below the main cave stands a gigantic golden statue of Lord Murugan, a god of war primarily worshipped by Tamil Hindus. We reached the main hillside cavern above, its roof partly open to the sky, by climbing 272 almost vertical steps. Inside, we found a temple, several statues of Hindu gods, a scattering of shaven headed devotees and the ubiquitous monkeys and souvenir stands. Back down the steps, another huge cave had been turned into a museum, its walls lined with Hindu texts and dozens of brightly painted statues of yet more Hindu deities

Thaipusam.

On the festival’s first evening, we watched (up close and personal), as the devout participants, supported by entourages of friends and relatives, after bathing in the nearby murky looking river (outdoor showers were erected for the more fastidious!) were encouraged into self- induced trances. After which, often puffing on a cigar (not narcotic, according to Lucas), these devotees had their cheeks pierced with silver skewers, or their backs pierced with large fishhooks to which various objects such as limes, bells, and bundles of herbs were attached. (Amazingly we saw no blood.) For the more advanced devotees the hooks were attached to large, heavy wooden framed structures decorated with flowers and peacock feathers and carried on their shoulders or in extreme cases to heavy carts laden with flower and brightly painted icons. Aided by supporters of all ages — men, women, the aged, little kids — most carrying silver pots of milk on their heads as offerings to the gods, the pierced devotees made their way from the river to ascend the long flight of steps to the cave and waiting gods above. The long procession was accompanied by music, and much loud chanting and drumming. A powerful spectacle of sight, sound and religious fervour.

Be warned some of these photos are not for the squeamish!