Sound and Color

We rolled into Kuala Lumpur around 4:00am.  I was exhausted.  I had taken the night bus from Singapore, and while it was comfortable, I couldn’t really sleep.  I stumbled out onto the quiet street, the city still dark and still.  I had chosen this particular bus route in part because it arrived close to my hotel.  I generally prefer to walk in a new city whenever possible, despite carrying about 50 pounds of luggage.  Haggling with taxis when I don’t have a good base point is never fun.

I pull out my phone and check google maps to see where I’m going.  I’m quite grateful for my T-Mobile plan that gives me data and texting in most countries around the world.  It would be cheaper to get a local SIM card, but it’s safer and more convenient to have a phone that just works the second you arrive.  And in many countries, nothing, including getting a local SIM card, is easy or convenient.  So I happily pay my US prices for US access.

I slowly made my way down the winding road for about 10 minutes to my hotel, just wanting to get some sleep.  The front desk guy greets me cheerily, and then takes ages to figure out what to do with me.  He decides he can let me in if he charges me for an extra night.  At this point, I don’t care.  He tells me he’s giving me an upgrade!  Lovely.  I wondered what kind of upgrades exist at a $20/night hotel.  He takes me to a windowless room downstairs.  It has two beds, so I guess that was the upgrade!  I promptly fell asleep.

When I woke up a few hours later, the owner caught me just before I left.  “I’m so sorry, my colleague put you in the wrong room.  Can I move you?  I know Americans like windows.  I had a special room set aside just for you.”  I laughed, and packed up my things.

Kuala Lumpur is a delightfully easy city to navigate.  Their metro system can get you just about anywhere fast and cheap.  I took a picture of the metro map for later reference, hopped on, and went gliding through the city.

My first stop was the national museum.  I enjoyed wandering through, learning about ancient people groups and modern customs. Early traders to the peninsula were Islamic.  The ruler converted and decreed Malaysians would henceforth be Muslim.

I toured through the downtown area, admiring the Moorish-influenced, British built government buildings and sections of town.  Visitors were reminded to behave properly, but nothing like the death sentence promised for drug dealers I saw in Singapore.

It was late and I had been walking all day.  My last stop on my self-guided tour was an old Anglican church, St. Mary’s Cathedral.  I could see the spire in the distance.  I was tired and my pace was definitely slowing.  I arrived and noticed there was a service scheduled to begin in about 20 minutes.  I had spent several months attending Anglican services many years ago, and enjoyed the tradition of liturgy.  Also, it would be nice to sit for a bit.  I didn’t see many people yet, so I asked a man standing in the entry if there indeed was a service scheduled.  He looked at me kindly, although a bit skeptically.  “Yes…  but it’s not a traditional service.”

“Oh that’s fine!”

He paused, as though not sure how to explain it.  “It’s more…uh…charismatic…”

I laughed,  “No problem!”

“Like, praise and worship?”

“Sounds good!”

He smiled.  “Are you visiting?”

I said I was just there for a few days.  He looked at me again, this time with more concern.

“Your purse, you should always wear it across your body, not just on your shoulder.”

I looked down.  He was right, I was just being careless.  I have heard his reminder in my head in many countries since, just when I was starting to get too comfortable and forget how much I always stand out as a foreigner.  I nodded my thanks and he showed me in, introducing me to a woman standing just in the doorway.

“Hello!  Welcome!  Are you hungry?  Do you need some dinner?”

I wasn’t expecting that!  They had food for those leading the service every week.  I thanked her for her offer, but declined.  We sat down and chatted a bit while waiting for the service to start, and she seemed to know everyone who came in.

I looked around the sanctuary.  It was very traditional, old and beautiful.  White marble, dark wood, and a quiet reverence created an atmosphere of peace and calm.  It was a nice place to rest.

In front, there was a piano and some speakers set up, looking a bit out of style from the rest of the building.  A woman started playing the piano and the service began.  Her husband led the singing, with a voice that enveloped the room in a deep resonance and clear pitch.  I knew most of the songs and thoroughly enjoyed the service.  After the preaching ended, the pastor came and introduced himself and we chatted a bit before I left.  It’s such a nice feeling to have an instant community, even so far away from home.

It was dark, so I got a pulled up an app and ordered a taxi back to my hotel.  As I was waiting, a man came up and started talking and then asked me for money.  I was grateful the car pulled up just then and I was able to leave.  App-based taxis have been a lifesaver on this trip, both internationally known and locally-developed options.  Being able to have costs fairly and clearly calculated, adding destinations by map pins, and being able to track the journey has made transportation simple and much safer.  It’s not readily available as regular taxis (like at 4:00 in the morning), but when it is, it’s a game-changer in travels.

The next day, I went to the Batu caves.  It’s easy to access at the end of the metro line and definitely worth a visit.  The caves have been used as a holy place for Hindu worship for over 100 years.  There are several caves with different stories from Hindu religious history, played out in pictures, colors, and figurines.  One cave is known as the “Dark Cave” and is a guided tour deep into the damp depths.  It’s amazing to see all that’s living and growing in the pitch black.  Stalagmites and stalactites are slowly building their pillared chambers, while bats, spiders, and countless other creatures and critters go about their life, only disturbed by visitors with flashlights, which happen through once an hour.

The main sight is the Temple Cave.  In front is a giant golden statue marking the entrance.  A set of 272 steps go up into the caverns, covered by countless tourists and monkeys, sometimes indistinguishable by behavior.  Last year, the steps were controversially painted in vibrant cascading shades, creating a visual melody of color scales.  The authorities were a bit miffed, but left the work in place.  I think it’s spectacular.

Inside the caves, more stories are played out, telling the tales of Hindu gods and battles and love and wrath.  There are weird lights, funny figures, and peacock carvings.  The caves themselves have some beautiful spots where light shafts create a sense of divine blessing.  Outside, mischievous monkeys play and fight and mostly look for snacks from tourists.  One had managed to grab a bottle of coke and looked quite pleased with himself as he sat back and drank his afternoon refreshment.

I headed back to my hotel which was in the heart of the massage district, both legitimate and sketchy.  I decided to try a Thai massage.  I didn’t know I had signed up for a torture session, as the gal contorted my arms and legs past their designated range and shoved her elbows and knees into my back, seemingly with great glee.  But it was cheap, and now I know!

The stop-over was short and sweet, with just enough time to rest after my first two months on the road. The next day, I was off to Cambodia and the journey continued.