If you want to call it a travelogue, it’s more like a traveller’s story.
Maybe everyone sees similar scenery, but it’s the unique experiences and emotions during the journey that create different stories.
Penang, a place thriving with tourism, seemed somewhere I’d never easily fall for or get immersed in — after all, I prefer places with a touch of simplicity and strong local flavour. But an unexpected love story that bloomed yet bore no fruit unfolded in Love Lane, leaving this traveller who thought she could never love Penang utterly captivated by the place.
After a dinner and several rounds of drinking, I quickly became close with other guests at the hostel. The five of us decided to head to Penang National Park together the next day. Though it’s the smallest national park in Penang, it still takes a whole day to fully explore its beaches and lakes.
Among the five was a guy born in Korea but raised in the US. At first, I didn’t take much of a liking to him. He seemed to only hang around women and was always on his phone — just another typical Western phone-player, I thought. Even though he actively tried to strike up a conversation with me on the bus to the park, I just wanted to shut it down.
Finally, we arrived. After checking the map, we decided to hike to Pantai Kerachut first before taking a speedboat to the other beaches. I’d heard Pantai Kerachut was full of green sea turtles and olive ridley turtles, but I didn’t see a single one... Along the way to the beach, that guy kept hovering around me, throwing out different topics. Strangely enough, I gradually grew interested in what he had to say.
Turns out, we both loved travel, sports, reading, and photography. Even better, our views on life were very much aligned. Perhaps two strangers can become friends simply because of those tiny shared interests — from getting to know each other to truly connecting.
Suddenly, it felt like we had endless things to talk about, chatting about everything under the sun without end. On the way back to the hostel after visiting the park, he always stayed by my side. At the time, I figured maybe it was because my English was better among the group, and we shared common interests, so he enjoyed talking to me more.
When we got back to the hostel, it was already dark, but we happened to catch the annual and most important Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Penang. Of course, there was no chance to rest — instead, we headed out to join the festivities. Calling it joining in would be an understatement — it was truly eye-opening.
The scale of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival was indeed massive. Colourful floats moved through the streets and alleys, while crowds lined the roads to welcome the procession. What amazed us most were the performers (devotees), who believed they were possessed by deities and thus invincible — they could pierce their cheeks with knives or needles, dip their hands in boiling oil, walk on fire pits, hot coals, and even wire mesh without any harm.
Suddenly, fireworks lit up the sky, absolutely stunning. I looked up and smiled, grateful to have witnessed such beauty and excitement. Then I looked ahead and saw him looking at me across the way, smiling too.
We smiled at each other in silence.
Maybe we were really exhausted, because we decided to head back before the float parade ended. He, who slept on the bunk below me, leaned over to my bed just before sleeping and softly said, “Let’s go out and have fun together tomorrow too. Good night!”
I finally drifted off to sleep.
The next day, of course, he continued to hang out with me and my Hong Kong travel buddy (finally mentioning my Hong Kong companion, haha!). The trio first went to the 3D Museum, goofing around and taking some silly photos before leaving — actually, neither he nor I were keen on taking selfies, and my friend eventually got bored entertaining herself. But the highlight of the day was Batu Ferringhi Beach, a famous beach destination filled with hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops.
Unfortunately, it suddenly started pouring rain, and we had to run for cover. But having just come out of the water, we shivered uncontrollably in the cold wind without the sun. When the rain eased a bit, we dashed to the bus stop. But then came another problem: the air-conditioning on the bus was way too strong. Neither my friend nor I had brought warm clothing, so we could only huddle together for warmth. Seeing our odd predicament, he gave a wry smile, took off his jacket to give to me, and draped a large towel over both of us. Wearing just a vest, he was shivering but refused to take his jacket back.
We finally made it back to my place. After showering and dinner, it was time for drinks and chatting again. Maybe sensing that we’d soon part ways — he to continue his journey, and us to return to Hong Kong and reality — no one felt like sleeping. Until around 2 or 3 AM, my friend and another traveller finally succumbed to exhaustion and went to bed. He and I moved outside to the corridor and continued chatting endlessly.
We talked about each other’s pasts, shared dreams, laughed — and then, unexpectedly, he kissed me.
I froze. My first thought was to just go to sleep.
The next morning, everyone acted as if nothing had happened as we had breakfast together. The five of us then headed to the famous Toh Soon Cafe, ordering kaya toast, coffee, and half-boiled eggs.
He suddenly became quiet, sitting beside me, clearly uncomfortable. After breakfast, to lighten the mood, I kept joking with him. Then he told me a story:
A traveller, in pursuit of dreams, decided to leave the comfort of home to explore the world and learn more about themselves. Along the way, they met many fellow travellers — some inspired them, others they couldn’t even remember. Until one day, in some place, they met a girl who changed their world. Though they were reluctant to part, the journey had to go on. They believed that if they were on the same parallel path, they’d meet again someday, no matter how long or different their journeys were.
After he finished, we just smiled at each other again.
Our flight was late at night, so we walked him to the ferry terminal where he’d cross over to catch a train to his next destination. Before he left, we hugged goodbye, and his final words were: “I will see you again.” (Of course, this is another story that happened in Vietnam.)
My friend and I visited the last attraction of our trip — Clan Jetties. This heritage site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage spot, looked especially poignant in the wind and rain. Maybe the sky shared my mood — pouring rain and dark clouds overhead.
Gazing at the far end of the jetty, across the sea, I still found the view beautiful despite the rain.
Penang, this dreamlike journey, showed me many ordinary yet extraordinary sights. Without realizing it, I fell in love with this place, missed the hostel where I stayed for a few days in Love Lane, and cherished those memories and stories only we understood. There were many details I never put into words, but perhaps an incomplete story is what makes it all the more memorable.
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