Bantu Redux

I ended up returning to Bantu Caves, this time acting as a guide.

More from Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The bottom three photos I took earlier today, just outside of Kuala Lumpur, at Batu Caves. Here, Hindu shrines have been sheltered for over 100 years, and it's one of the largest Hindu shrines outside of India.

Manila: Cultural Show & Chinatown

Established in 1594, Manila's Chinatown is the oldest in the world.

Luneta Park Pork-Barrel Protest

Manila, a sprawling megacity of about 20 million people, is actually made up of six individual cities. We are living in the Ermita district, which used to be affluent, but is now a seedy (but colorful) red light district, with backpacker hotels, cheap eats, karaoke bars, and narrow clogged steamy streets teeming with people and traffic. Government corruption in the Philippines is rampant, and the cost of living here is fairly high, while the average wage is less than $10 per day. It is currently the rainy season here, and a recent typhoon has left many homeless. Now during an early-morning walk on the Bay Walk along Manila Bay, you will see many people sleeping under umbrellas, makeshift tents, plastic sheeting, etc.

Manila