Height is might

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

I JUSTIFIED the delay—my youth, actually—to a 50-year-old, who beat me in our self-imposed race to the summit without breaks, by convincing her that I photographed the monkeys first and that the climb was not formidable enough because anybody—even in six-inch Louboutins—could be as agile.

Of course, I lied to avoid a bruised ego. My mother, who’s twice my age, arrived ahead of me. Instead of focusing on the strenuous path, she marveled at the sea view across the mountain. Perhaps, that’s the secret to a successful journey uphill.

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I did take photos of the howling monkeys by the railings, but I also gasped for a few breaths and rested halfway through the 273-step staircase—carved from the mountain’s natural rock formation—to the inner most Hindu temple in Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

You see, these knees were not made for it. The competition was steep. Anyone whose feet measure more than 10 inches would only occupy half of the step. Sure, you can rely on the rustic, sturdy railings for weight balance, but like any other flight of stairs, never look down.

Singapore to Malaysia

From Lavender Street in Singapore, we boarded the 10 p.m. bus to Johor Bahru, the border line between the two countries. Six hours later—with cat naps in between—we disembarked in front of the Petronas towers in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Of the three possible ways to get there from Singapore, this is the cheapest.

The night bus is ideal if you want to visit the twin towers. The distribution of tickets for admission into the towers begins at 8 a.m., but tourists start lining-up at 4 a.m. The number of visitors is limited for security purposes. Or you can book the once-a-day, one-hour flight from Singapore’s Changi Airport to Kuala Lumpur.

The least opted is the slow train: yes, cheap but only if you have 12 hours to spare
on a one-way trip.

Height is might

With sales talk hyping-up gargantuan attractions, Malaysia is considerably addicted to heights. For instance, the statue of Lord Murugan, a Hindu god to whom the temples are dedicated to, stands at 140 feet high at the foot of Batu Caves. The icon is the tallest of its kind; its temple rises 100 meters above the ground, on the limestone hill in Gombak district, north of Kuala Lumpur.

It is the most popular shrine outside India where devotees gather during the Thaipusam festival, occurring on the full moon in January and February. Learn more about the epic victory over the demon Soorapadam at the Art Gallery Cave and Museum at the entrance, or you may avail yourself of the audio tour.

Mega twins

Other stories in Kuala Lumpur are best said in numbers. The eight points and eight lobes with eight semicircles exterior design allows more space inside Malaysia’s majestic twin towers, the Petroliam Nasional Berhad, or more popularly called, The Petronas Towers. These geometric patterns mean “unity within unity, harmony, stability, and rationality” in Islamic principles.

But on a more personal principle, they could mean shopping at the basement of the mega structures. Or say, air-conditioned wandering: aside from being the world’s highest twin building, it is after all a mall complete with the best brands—Prada, Chanel, Burberry—food stalls and restaurants, a museum, and an 856-seater music conservatory.

If you keenly inspect the halls, you might think you’re in a mosque jazzed up with wall panels and screens inspired by “songkat” (a hand-woven brocade) and hardwood carvings from the east coast of the peninsula. The floors, on the other hand, are patterned after the local weaving and Bertam province palm well rugs.

Each of the tower’s two pinnacles is composed of a spire ring ball, a 23-segmented mast.

Malaysia is addicted to measurements. Height, perhaps, tells us that they’ve carved a story out from the economic crisis, hopping into the light of the new world.

And if the competition is overly steep for a neophyte climb, you really can’t be too old or too young to find a grip for balance or to pause for a deep breath on the way up.