Carrying water

Do you see these steps? There are over 270 steps from the bottom to the top where the Batu Caves are located. These gentlemen are carrying bottles of water up all those 270 steps. I would have to say that with each step, the bottles gain a pound in weight, and about 10 bucks in dollars (well, not really, but it's practically so). Those are expensive waters by the time you climb to the top of the steps. And it is very high. You'll see it when I show the next set of photos. For now, I just want to admire everything that is in these men who have to trudge up and down carrying water to sell (of course, they're going to make tourists pay an arm and a leg for each bottle, too, but that's beside the point).

Have I already said that those are the highest steps I have ever climbed? At the time that I was climbing them, it felt as if I was going to topple over at any second, and of course, I would have crushed quite a few monkeys if I'd ever roll down to the bottom at step 1. I think that by step 150, I was wanting to crawl on my hands and legs, but the steps and handrails were so digusting that I couldn't just crawl. The handrails were truly disgusting -- the sweat, dirt, and whatever else that people have transferred onto those rails -- ugh. I don't even want to think about it. But, I had to hand on for dear life. It felt as if I had a death grip on those handrails, and I am ashamed to say that I practically fought with elderly but gung-ho tourists who also wanted to use the handrail. There were many times during the climb when I had to move from one side of the railing to the other, and those feel feet that I had to cross as I was going up the steps were agonizing. My hands are sweating even now as I think about that experience.

In the end, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my trip to Malaysia.