Kuala Lumpur Was Another Surprise of a City!

   I don't know what I expected, but it turned out that KL, Malaysia is a big, modern city built on a hilly green landscape.  It kind of reminded me of LA.   We started our tour though outside the city at Batu Caves, one of the more, shall we say, unusual spots I've ever been.   They are a huge natural limestone formation, 100 meters tall, into which Hindu Temples have been built.     Light filters in from openings above, and in addition to Hindu worshippers and us,  there were creepy little monkeys everywhere.   Quite atmospheric!      The week before we were there a festival had taken place with a million and a half participants.    The main feature of the event is that people are pierced here and there, with offerings some how attached and suspended between them.   Not to be missed, but miss it we did!    It was steamy hot,  occasional drips of water hit you, lots of chanting, recorded Hindu music, incense, and those creepy filthy monkeys everywhere-- I loved it.  I was glad there was someone with hand sanitizer on board the bus.   From there to the lobby of the Petronas Towers,  at the base of which there was of course a shopping mall, a cave of a whole different sort!    We spent the rest of the afternoon in Chinatown, for shopping, where I promptly found a sidewalk cafe and had a couple of ice cold Tiger beers.