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February 07, 2006
Pain and Penance in Kuala Lumpur
The key to overland border crossings is to remember that most information you receive is false and almost everybody is trying to rip you off. As far as borders go, the Singapore-Malaysia border wasn't too bad, but this was our first in a while. After over a month of relaxing in New Zealand, we were quickly reminded of the aspects of travel that we claim to hate, but secretly love. Dealing with pushy taxi drivers and crooked money changers in overcrowded bus terminals and getting the satisfaction of beating them all by figuring out things on our own is one of the most enjoyable parts of being on the road. Thus we dive headfirst back into overland travel and into a new country, Malaysia.
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Trishaws of Melaka |
After a history of occupation - the Portugese, Dutch, English, and briefly the Japanese - in 1957 Malaysia became an independant nation. Comprised mainly of Malays, Chinese and Indians it has a truly multicultural mix. Islam is the state religion, and the early morning call to prayer can be heard echoing throughout the cities, but other religions are freely practiced. Bahasa Melayu is the official language of the country, but English is very common, taught in schools and used as a cross cultural means of communication. People in the country are extremely friendly to us and have been very eager to help.
For the first time on our trip, with the exception of Argentine steaks and empanadas, we are excited about the local food. Actually, make that ecstatic. Not that it was bad in South America, just rather bland. The food in Malaysia is absolutely amazing and I find myself looking forward to every meal. So many different arrays of smells and flavours await us at the various hawker stalls set up throughout the streets and alleyways, but the twenty four hour Indian curry places have proven to be the most economic option. For just $1.00 USD we loaded a plate full of steamed rice and delicious curry chicken. Figuring out the pricing scheme can be a bit tricky - after dishing up the food, you are given a slip of paper with the price of your meal on it, which seems to vary every day even when ordering the exact same dish.
Our first stop in the country was the historic port town of Melaka, where much of the occupational history of Malaysia was centered. St. Paul's hill in the centre of town contains the remains of what used to be a Dutch fortress, but now resembles a pile of rubble. Despite the rich history, the town itself didn't hold too much interest for us, and I was a little surprised to travel to Malaysia to view Dutch ruins (complete with windmill at the bottom of the hill). The main square was a source of amusement for us as highly decorated trishaws (bicycle taxis) whizzed tourists around the square, dodging enterprising men with snakes and lizards draped over their shoulders for photo opportunities. At the base of the ruins an extraordinary sound and light show takes you through the turbulent history of Malaysia. At least that's what the flyer claims. The sound portion was very informative, but the light show left much to be desired. Every now and then a tree would flash green, or red for war, and the ruins were illuminated. More interesting was the silhouette of the cats that seemed to play a part in the show. In the morning we took a bus to Kuala Lumpur, slightly hesitant of hitting our third big city in a row.
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Petronas Towers |
Like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur is a modern city, but it posseses a certain charm that Singapore lacks. The core of the city can easily be explored on foot, although a monorail covers much of the area. Chinatown hosts lively night markets where every second stall sells the same thing, and you marvel at how anyone can possibly make a profit. Watches, wallets, bags, shoes, and bootleg dvds can all be purchased for bottom basement prices, but you usually get what you pay for. We were roped in by one of the restaurant touts who waved his menu in our face using enticing lines such as "Good food...lots of foreigners here!". Lots of foreigners is not usually what we look for in an eating establishment, but without much of a chance to argue, we were seated with all the other suckers eating and watching the market.
We took a trip up the KL Tower, the fourth largest communications tower in the world (Toronto's CN tower is first), which shows why KL is interesting to walk around. Unlike most major cities that are laid out in a grid, KL has winding, twisting roads throughout, making it interesting to walk and easy to lose your way. We arrived in the tower at dusk and the whole city became layer upon layer of fantastic yellows, all differing slightly in hues. At sunset we also had an excellent view of the futuristic Petronas Towers, although these towers can be seen from practically anywhere in the city.
Dominating the Kuala Lumpur skyline, the 88 storey buildings tower over the city at 452 meteres, and until recently were the tallest in the world. The design of the towers reflects Islamic architecture, with the floor plan consisting of two interlocking squares that form an eight-point star, a traditional Islamic motif symbolizing untiy, harmony, stability and rationality. The towers are by far the most impressive modern buildings that I have seen.
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Cheeky Monkey |
Thirteen kilometres north of the city centre lie the Batu Caves, a place of worship for the Hindus of Malaysia. On the tenth month of the Hindu calendar, the site becomes the focus for the Thaipusam festival where up to one million Hindus congregate to seek penance and absolution for past sins, or to show gratitude to God for blessings during the year. While some participants simply shave their heads, others carry urns of milk or honey, and the extreme pierce their bodies with spikes and hooks, hanging or towing objects from the piercings. In order to pierce their bodies without feeling pain, devotees are induced to enter a religious trance. They then endure the strenuous climb up the 272 steep steps to the cave. Once inside, white-clad priests attend to thousands of worshippers by removing their piercings and lifting the trance. A coconut is dashed to the ground, camphor (an odorous and medicinal tree bark) is burned and their holy vow made to God has been fulfilled.
When empty, the caves are tranquil and a sight to behold. Moving up the steps at a slow pace, it is hard to imagine what it must be like to climb them while carrying (or towing) weight. Waiting at the top of the steps are numerous curious and agressive long tailed macaque monkeys. Quite used to the treats of visitors, these monkeys run around looking for food scraps and threatening kids for their cans of soda. One determined monkey trapped a child behind his father, and darted around either side to get to the screaming child's can of Sprite. It worked. Inside, it opens up into a giant cavern containing several shrines, and the Sir Sri Subramania Swamy Temple. While some, such as us, came to admire the extraordinary designs inside the cave, many others came to pray.
The Batu Caves and area around them take on a much more frenzied atmosphere during Thaipusam. Starting in the Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon, a procession marches towards the caves and when we turned up at eleven that night, the festival was in full swing. Thousands fill the staircase and the entrance to the caves, spilling out on to the road where lines of makeshift barbers wield straight razors and energetically shave the heads of those so inclined. Pushing through the swarms, we worked against the flow of the procession to reach the edge of the river where all preparations were being made.
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Bells are hung by hookson his back |
Sweet smells of incense and tobacco filled the air, which had taken on a yellowish glow as lights and fire illuminated robes and urns. Eyes glazed over, devotees appeared to be under a trance as piercings were placed throughout their body. Lips, tongues, foreheads, backs, and chests are skewered with hooks and spears without drawing blood. Overcome by the trance some shake and scream, or fall over needing assistance from those around. The tribe-like drumming combined with the energy of the crowd made us feel under a certain trance as well. Every direction we looked was a new and completely surreal sight. Pushed to and fro through the crowd by devotees carrying urns of cream on their heads, pulling rope attached to their backs by hooks, or those carrying huge ornate designs over their heads we felt swept up by the event. In the midst of the crowd, I felt that without a doubt this was one of the most incredible events I have ever witnessed.
By four thirty in the morning we returned to our hostel and fell fast asleep while thousands more devotees were at the caves preparing for their penance.
Posted by brett at February 7, 2006 05:08 AM