Travel By Photo - Batu Caves Of Malaysia

I was driving pass Batu Caves while sending my car for service in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur. I did this once every 2 months at least. Ironically, this afternoon was quite different from my other previous trips there. The sun is bright and blue with some clouds shading part of the Batu Caves which made the golden Muruga statue so attractive and it stroke my mind immediately (perhaps I only noticed it after having my new camera ). I decided to visit the infamous tourist attraction of KL…. once again after some 10 years… to take PHOTOS!

Entrance is free but car drivers like me needed to pay a negligible fees of RM2 for parking (RM2 for a wonderful photography session…. I paid immediately!). Once I stepped out of my car, I pulled out my camera and what I could hear was endless shutter sounds and nothing else Seating in front of the 400 million year old limestone hill and series of caves is the 130 feet tall statue of Lord Muruga which Batu Caves was dedicated to. This huge golden statue of Lord Muruga was constructed for 3 years and completed in January 2006 which is claimed to be the tallest Lord Muruga statue in the world.

Beside the statue is the 272 step steep concrete staircase which visitors have to climb before reaching the Cathedral Cave, the biggest cave of Batu Caves, some 100m above ground level.

Once you reached the top, there are stalls selling souvenirs and drinks in front of the cave entrance and underneath those stalactites jutting from the cave’s ceiling. Don’t be scared if some water dripping onto your head from above, it’s only mountain dew

Visitors could go into the temple of huge cave and find lots of Indian religious statues and paintings. If you are brave enough, there is a guy who could ‘lend’ you his big snake for you to pamper.

While I was on my way down the steps, suddenly there were about ten Cynomolgus monkeys running up the steps! Then I heard a young lady shouted to them: “No more foods for you! Go away little xxxxx!”

Before I left Batu Caves, I saw also children feeding pigeons at the square in front. Close-up shot please!

Batu Caves is also holding the Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia every year which attracts over 1.5 million pilgrims, and it is one of the largest annual gatherings in the world. - Travel Feeder.

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Ramadan month or the fasting month dropped on September this year where our Muslim counterparts are spending the whole month fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to dusk, normally from 5:30am to 7:30pm. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. After which, Muslim will celebrate their ‘Festival of Breaking Fast’ or Hari Raya, the Muslim New Year.

During the fasting month, muslims could not eat or drink or even smoke during day time and could only break fast after sunset which in Muslim belief could wash away sins accumulated for the past year. For working muslim, it would be tiring to prepare their dinner everyday by that hours or it would be too late for children having fasted for the whole day. Because of that, there are plenty of occasional or seasonal food stalls appeared all over streets in the evening to capture these people in the city of Malaysia.

Nowadays, this is in fact an tourist attraction to the local non muslims and even tourists visiting to Malaysia during this month where it becomes a special local food carnival of Ramadhan month with lots of local foods on sale only for this period. I think this is a special month for tourists to visit Malaysia as they are lucky to be able to try so many local Malay foods or snacks all at 1 place at the same time!

I went to one of the biggest Ramadhan food street market in Jinjang Selatan, Kuala Lumpur last weekend and have captured some photos of the yummy foods on sale in the market. Photos are more than words could tell….

Nearly hundred of food stalls are set up along both sides of the road. You can choose whatever meat balls you prefer. 

Fried chicken rice originally a Chinese cuisine has nowadays become popular among our malay friends.

Chicken or beef floss…

You haven’t really tried the malay food if you have not tried ‘Satay’ before…

‘Mixed’ vegetables and curry for your main course tonight…

Local Indian ‘mamak’ favourites: Roti Bomb! On sale in either plain or with ‘kaya’ filling.

 Hmm… dare to try? Various kind of fruit drinks includes Corn? juice, watermelon, lychee or grapes…

This is my favourite! Rice cake with ‘Melaka’ brown sugar floss!

All kinds of fritters made from either potatos, flour, prawn or beans…

‘Poh Piah’ - Another Chinese originated snack food, dumpling with vegetables filling…

‘Murtabak’ or omelette with chicken or beef filling… Taste better than its look.

Grill fish on banana leaf! Yummy!

All kinds of Malay traditional cakes. You can’t miss them….

Or you would prefer these also traditional cakes and snacks. Curry puffs are my favourite too!

Wow! Can you see this? Turkish kebabs are sold here also!

Doesn’t like those colourful fruit drinks? You definitely can’t go wrong with this sugar cane, coconut or jelly drinks!

You may want to have snacks after breaking fast. Dates might be your preference….

Prices are extremely cheap while the foods are yummy!

Aren’t they all look mouth-watering to you? For those who are keen to try our local malay food could visit Malaysia during this Ramadhan period as you can save much on the cheaper hotel rates as well. Until the 30th of September, all these flee food markets would be disappeared and all local muslim will be celebrating their New Year on the 1st of October. - Travel Feeder.

Today, 31st August, 2008, the national day of Malaysia, also marked as the end of the existence of the ‘Eye Of Malaysia’ in Kuala Lumpur. The ‘Eye on Malaysia’ is a 60 metre tall portable observation wheel at our infamous Titiwangsa Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur. This wheel comprises 42 gondolas (visitors cabin) and was official launched in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007 on January 6, 2007 by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Visitors taking a 12-minutes ride in one of those gondolas could experience a 360 degree panoramic view of the city includes the city landmarks such as KLCC Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower, and tourist spot of Bukit Bintang. Since it was contracted for operation in KL until only today, it will cease operating and be relocated to Malacca in October 2008. I was ashamed of not even visiting it once since last year and I have to do it today for the last chance!

We woke up pretty early this morning for a praying session to ‘Guan Yin’ on 1st of August in lunar calender, with some hang over after my wife and I had ’Merdeka’ day celebration drinking session till late last night. Once everything settled (after burning the ‘gold paper’ to Guan Yin), we took a bath and drive out for a ‘dim sum’ breakfirst at 3rd mile, Jalan Ipoh, KL. At noon, we reached Titiwangsa Lake Garden. It was a shinny noon with some hints of haze though.

‘Eye on Malaysia’ is built in the middle of the lake with a landing platform extended out from the lake side terrace. Not as huge as other observation wheels like the tallest 165m high ‘Singapore Flyer”, ‘Eye on Malaysia’ did liven up the metropolitan garden. Surprisingly not many people are queuing for the ride. My daughter couldn’t take the challenge up so we have to stay on the ground, walking around the beautiful lake (I think it was 3 years ago since my last visit here).

I took some photos of the wheel and there was a nice gentleman helping to shoot a family photo of us. That was it! Bye! Bye! ‘Eye on Malaysia’! See you in Melaka! For those fellow muslim who are starting their fasting month tomorrow, Happy Fasting! - Travel Feeder.

Coat Of Arms Of Malaysia

Tonight midnight on 31st August 2008, we are going to celebrate our nation’s 51st birthday or Independence Day. In 51 years ago, while we were still called as Malaya, our first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, led a delegation of ministers and political leaders of Malaya negotiating with the British in London for Merdeka, or independence along with the first president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock and fifth President of Malaysian Indian Congress Tun V.T. Sambanthan. It was decided that the official proclamation of Malaya independence would be made on August 31, 1957, at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), in Kuala Lumpur, and we are then named our country as Malaysia, until today.

We have huge Merdeka eve celebration “Ambang Merdeka” every year and apart from the main venue, Merdeka Square where our Prime Miniter, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be shouting “Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!” tonight midnight at 12:00am, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and Bukit Bintang are also celebrating our 51st National day on the eve tonight where many of our local artists will be performing live. The Theme of 2008 National Day is ‘Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan’ (Unity Is The Core of Success). It marked the importance of unity among Malaysians of various races and religions.

Last year, I celebrated the 50th Merdeka eve with my wife and our daughter at our new under-renovation apartment in K.L., sitting on the floor (still without any fuurniture), overseeing the beautiful city night view and fireworks display at various location. Tonight, I will celebrate the 51st Merdeka eve again with my wife, our daughter and our new member, our son.

We will be lying on our couch at our apartment’s balcony, admiring the KL city night view and hopefully can catch some fireworks display, perhaps for the last time (2 new blocks of apartment are under construction in front of us and our unbeatable KL view might be blocked next year! ). This is the aftereffect of rapid city development in our to-be 51-year-old nation, Malaysia. Anyway, at tonight midnight, I’ll still be shouting: “MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!” - Travel Feeder.