Last year, I was supposed to follow my friends to Batu Caves to witness the Thaipusam celebration. At the last minute, (which was so characteristic of me) I decided that sleeping in was the smarter thing to do on a rare day off. This time around, I vowed not to have cold feet. Am totally glad to have made the trip and experienced Thaipusam in ways not many people could swear to have done. So, this here is my very own pilgrimage: My First Train Ride.

That was a joke. It does have relevance though: I had never ridden on a train until today (save LRTs and Monorails, but they don't count). My first trip on a train was totally authentic, the kind you see in movies depicting train services in poor countries: Jam packed, no seats, amazing view as was standing near the door and the works. It couldn't have been more fun (and I mean this in a non-sarcastic way, seriously).

Back to the topic at hand. Thaipusam at Batu Caves was truly an incredible experience of the senses. Great sights to behold, amazing sounds and stimulating olfactory-wise (shame on you if you see sarcasm in that). On the train, I informed a fellow traveller that I couldn't wait to see the kavadi procession. Having seen so many gruesome photos of impaled flesh, you can't help but not hate the wait to see mind-over-matter at work.

After hearing not-so fun stories from friends, had actually planned not to climb the famed 272 steps of Batu Caves. As fate would have it, I was drawn by some unseen force and was pushed along by the crowd. What's a trip to Batu Caves without scaling its staircase, right? The view from above, though marred by creeping development (highways and buildings), was pretty cool; the big crowd visible from above gave a sense of the number of people who, like me, woke up early from bed to pay tribute to Lord Murugan. The few hours of lost sleep was totally worth it.

Have a blessed Thaipusam, folks! Vel, vel!