Inside the caves there’s a Hindu temple that is one of the most visited shrines outside India. A massive gold statue of Lord Murugan, the Hindu God of War, stands guard at the foot of the cliff. We stopped to gawk and to photograph the statue before steeling ourselves for the ascent of 272 steps, leading to the cave entrance. I anticipated that the climb would be challenging, however, we paused along the way to take photographs and to enjoyed the panoramic view of the city far below, which made it quiet enjoyable. Temple Cave, the largest cave, has colorful limestone formations and life-sized statues of Hindu gods. The ceiling about 100m above the ground is pierced by holes, allowing sunlight into the huge cavern. The shrines themselves are kept in good condition, but, unfortunately, along the stairs and inside the cave there’s accumulated trash and overall the place needs maintenance. Watch out for the aggressive wild macaques inside the caves.

Batu Cave and Hindu Temple

At our next stop, the Royal Selangor Visitors Center, we observed the ancient art of pewter making, and, of course, were enticed to purchase pewter from a large selection in the showroom. To my regret, I did not purchase even one piece as I decided that I had too many knickknacks at home. Interestingly, tin, a basic ingredient of pewter, fueled the growth of Kuala Lampur. In 1857 a local ruler invited a small community Chinese migrants to work in the tin mines of Selangor's Klang Valley. By 1885, a young pewter smith named Yong Koon sailed into the fledgling boomtown to start what would develop into largest pewter company in the world, Royal Selangor. By combining tin with a small portion of copper and antimony, Yong Koon began making pewter candle stands and incense burners for the altars of Chinese prospectors, which later evolved into the creation of exquisite objects for British colonial officers and their wives. This tour reminded me of the movie Lord Jim that we had watched in preparation for our trip. Lord Jim is based on Joseph Conrad’s heart-wrenching story of a young sailor whom the “natives” call Lord Jim. The movie’s plot centers on the citizens of Patusan, an imaginary island in Malaysia, who are ruthlessly oppressed and exploited by a tin mine owner and the tragedy that follows when Lord Jim attempts to save them.

Royal Selangor Pewter Factory

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/an-ancient-art-hammered-home-20120112-1px72.html#ixzz2tUuS7SnB (An Ancient Art Hammered Home).
From it’s humble origin as a tin-mining shanty town, Kuala Lampur has developed in an impressive modern city and commercial center. The striking Petronas Twin Towers linked by a bridge, create a dramatic gateway to the city. The landmark trumpets Kuala Lumpur as a commercial and cultural capital. American architect Cesar Pelli cleverly evokes Malaysia’s Islamic heritage with repetitive geometric designs characteristic of Muslim architecture, including arabesques, an eight-point star formed by intersecting squares, and curved bays, which create a scalloped facade suggesting temple towers. We did not go up to the observation deck. Please note that you should book tickets ahead as there are long lines. Instead, we enjoyed the spectacular panoramic of Kuala Lumpur from the observation deck of the Communication Tower.

Petronas Towers

Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square. Distinctive buildings ring this square built around green space that was once the heart of British Colonial Malaysia. The green was originally the Royal Selangor Club’s cricket grounds for British expats. On this square independence was declared on August 31, 1957. A flagpole, considered to be the world’s tallest, marks the spot where, on the stroke of midnight, the British Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysian flag was raised. The most impressive structure is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, constructed in 1898, a striking blend of Victorian, Mogul, and Moorish architecture. The place functions as a city park today, and is also used for ceremonial and representative events. As usual, I would have enjoyed more time to linger on this square with its handsome heritage buildings.

Independence Square

Like Singapore, Kuala Lampur is a modern urban metropolis with a mosaic of people of different races and religion—Indians, Malays, Chinese that add their special flavor to the city. The city center, however, with is gleaming steel and glass towers reminds me of any middle-sized American city—except for the lush tropical vegetation.
In preparation for our trip, I had read the novel The Gift of Rain by Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng because the story takes place on the island of Penang, and paints a vivid picture of the city the historic area known as Georgetown. I had been looking forward to exploring the area, so I was exasperated when, at the end of the tour, we only caught a glimpse of the place. Still I highly recommend the novel. 

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