So I am up and out of my room just after 8 and I am amazed to find that both the girls are up and having breakfast. I grab some toast and a tea, because the coffee is one of these packs that has coffee, milk and sugar all inside, no thank you to the sweetness. So Tess, Sian and I head off It's a short walk to the train and then about 30mins to Batu Caves. The train is busy as you might expect, filled with many Indian's in traditional dress all coming to pay tribute at this holy place. Meanwhile the three of us are falling asleep on the train.
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We get to the last stop and everyone pours off the train. We exit the train station seeing hundreds of people pressed the gates like animals, for the return train. We enter on to a small walkway, with the mountains extending in the background amidst the many stalls selling everything you could imagine. The place has an electric atmosphere with people a plenty everywhere. What strikes me first is just mess of the place. Rubbish everywhere, like a carpet, I am literally walking on a carpet of plastic bottles, I wonder who will be given the task of cleaning this mess up. This festival has been going on for a number of days, with today being the last. Unsure of where to go, we just head through this market area. There are so many people that nudging shoulders is a common occurrence. There is even a fair with a rollercoaster and everything, it is clear that this is a party that has been going on for quite some time. With the sun in my eyes and my bag on my back I am feeling the heat at this early stage, surely not a good sign.
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When we get to the end of the market, the whole area opens up and the only word to describe what I see, is chaos. I mean there are people everywhere, various chanting and music, and what people are wearing is all very strange. I can see a massive statue and the steps leading up to the cave. They are chockablock! It is going to be fun ascending these. There are 3 rows of steps leading up to the cave and the left on appears to be reserved for people who are carrying a big float type statue on their shoulders, or have hooks in their back with fruit hanging off them. The right for coming down and the middle for normal person ascent. All in all a strange affair. We barge our way through the pandemonium and up the middle set of stairs. The climb is slow and arduous as people are stopping every couple of steps and there are so many people that I am surrounded on all sides with no chance of pace change or breathing. As I climb various people are stopping and turing round to take photos back down over the crowd and this is slowing everything, I get right involved. As we reach the entrance to the cave the pungent smell of sweat and god knows what oils and spices fills my nostrils in and sense bombardment, not the most pleasant I have to say. A bottle neck forms as everyone is just pushing forward as the routes converge. As we all know it is the old woman that you have to watch out for, no matter what culture, this remains the constant. Old and having lived a life already they believe that this entitles them to push, skip ahead and hold up queues by paying with coppers from a coin purse. The procession is further held back due to the amount of plastic bottles that people have covered the floor with, and let me tell you that trying to negotiate the steps down, many a plastic bottle and and Indian 'Mavis' pushing you with her skinny, boney finger in the base of your spine is not an easy task! Add to this the nostril load of pungent aroma, the sounds of chanting and bells and the sights of various sharp implements inserted in places I'd rather not say, I am rendered speechless. The deeper we get in to the cave the stranger things get. There are men being prepped for hook insertion and removal, crazy people running around looking possessed and bats and birds zipping through the air. It is also worth mentioning that there are not many tourists here, not that I am surprised, I would not describe this as a tourist friendly endeavour, that's why I am here. The parade converges once again as it heads to the shrine to make the offerings. We escape to an elevated position to look over the cave. They estimate that over 1 million people will come here today alone, and I can well believe it, it is 8am and it looks like this, I can only imagine what it will be like later. After the chaos we decide to head back to the hostel, I have seen enough and have no interest in having a look around the market area.
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We get back to the hostel and the girls pack their things and head off as they are both leaving today. Not that I am sad to see them go, their company was average, at best. I am changing hostels today because there is no room here for me this evening. I'm just heading across the road so not too far, just somewhere that I looked at yesterday. Has a bit more of a common room, and the girl at the counter seemed nice. Once I get sorted I grab something to eat, splash out a bit and grab some beers while I am at it, with a big pizza and chips. Yummy. A quick nap follows before I head out to meet SJ at Starbucks after her return from Batu Caves. We find somewhere nearby to have some food and beers. SJ is feeling like a bit of a party and so one beer leads to another and we end up grabbing some beers from a 7/11 and heading down to the river where the banks are lined with walls covered in street art. We muse over what is painted until it is definitely time to head home.