Penang, Malaysia. Part 1 ; Meeting new people

01.02.23-08.02.23

As someone who grew up in Singapore, crossing the border to Malaysia was rather common. As I recalled, my dad used to drive us to Malaysia quite often, for the first few years that I was in Singapore. While Johor Bahru (JB), was a frequent destination, there was that one memorable journey to Genting that still brings a smile to my face. But just like any other Singaporeans, we love to go to JB for shopping or for food. 

Yet, this year marked a significant change in my travel plans. I finally had the opportunity to explore beyond the familiar boundaries of JB. And I can’t wait to share the stories with you!

As usual, I often fly back to Singapore for Chinese New Year since most of my family are residing there and it also happens to be my winter break. “Do I want to spend my entire break in Singapore?”, you got my answer. No! As a result of that self-query, I ended up being in Singapore, Bali and Penang for my winter vacation this year. 

“What do you recommend me to do in Penang?” I posed this question to numerous friends, and their responses seemed to echo a common sentiment, “Nothing to do in Penang what, only got food”. I have to admit, these consistent replies left me with somewhat lowered expectations about my upcoming 8-day stay in Penang.

The night that I arrived in Penang from Singapore, I was staring out of the window, overwhelmed by a nagging feeling that maybe I’d made the wrong decision coming here. But… never jump into conclusion so quickly right? 

I woke up the next morning, feeling recharged as ever. Even though uncertainty hung in the air, I urged myself to get out and just explore. 

Little did I know, I met one of the nicest people on my day 1 in Penang, his name is Florent. Florent is from France and is currently in his second year of traveling around the world. We chatted over lunch and it was fascinating for me to see how skeptical he was about Asian food. Yet, what stood out was his open-mindedness, which eventually led him to savor the flavors of Malaysian food. As for me, not a problem at all. Asians just love Asian food. Unfortunately, I did not spend more time with him after lunch as I was getting a bad headache from the heat and decided to get back to my accommodation and rest. 

We got along so well that we decided to hang out for the next 2 days as well. On the second day, he proposed to go for a hike in Penang hill and without any hesitation, I was on board. The night before, we had tossed around the idea of hitchhiking, something I had never done in my life and was rather apprehensive about.

I was full of doubts, really. Him being him, he showed me how easy it was to flag down a ride by the roadside with a raised thumb. Slowly but surely, I gathered the courage to give it a try. Initially, luck wasn’t on our side, but eventually, a kind-hearted driver pulled over to offer us a ride. We were having tough luck at first but eventually a kind driver stopped by and picked us up. 

And here we were, our hiking adventures began…

Panting hard and sweating like a bucket, all under the strong heat in Malaysia. It would be perhaps wiser to opt for a cooler destination but hey! We ain’t made of sugar. The trail was indeed steep but I wasn’t about to admit a defeat that easily 😀

In no time, we made it to the top and chanced upon this abandoned building. The adventurous spirits in us led us there exploring. It was beautiful but unfortunately, I have yet to know the story behind this abandoned place. Us being the silly ones, we had no food but water on us. Hungry stomachs were then growling louder than our curiosity. We dined at a cafe which served us microwaved food and cost us each RM 25. What a costly meal! A reminder to always bring some snacks with you while you hike.

Just as we were about to hike back to the starting point, it started pouring rain. Exhausted and rain-soaked, we decided to opt for the funicular ride instead. The ticket for adults with normal lanes cost RM 12 while the fast lane is RM 40. It is definitely worth it if you wanna get back to the ground fast. Otherwise, take your time, enjoy the scenery and hike down. 

The rain got worse after we got to the ground and we still had to figure out how to get back to Georgetown by the bus. Oh! Funny enough, I had been warned by a few people to avoid the bus due to the presence of pickpockets, according to my friends but it turned out to be one of the most peaceful rides I ever had. Stereotypes can be scary and misleading but I would say, never jump into the conclusion without trying or witnessing it yourself. Of course, with that said, one still has to be cautious of his surroundings. 

In short, I really enjoyed my trip in Penang a lot and I got to meet so many wonderful souls there as well. It was during this trip that I truly grasped the essence of “no expectations, no disappointments.” Perhaps, in our pursuit of enjoyment, we should all learn not to burden ourselves with excessive expectations.

This is only part 1 of my stories in Penang, part 2 is in the making! Do stay tuned for my next blog & thank you for reading!