The Island of Rats

By Gabriela Mims

Pushing their paddles hard against the waves, Emma Hofer (12) and Karsten Ladner (12) made their way across the raging water from the Tanjung Bungah beach to Pulau Tikus, or Rat Island.

“Left—right—left—right!” they muttered in unison, trying to keep their paddling synchronized. Clouds filled the sky, blocking the sun from burning their salt-covered skin.

On weekends, students enjoy kayaking to Rat Island, the formation of rocks, trees, and sand that lay in the water a couple kilometers from the school. Although its name assumed the presence of rodents, no creatures other than crabs, birds, and jellyfish commonly visit the island.

Once they arrived, these students pulled their kayaks up to the sand and took a moment to drink some water and rest. After gathering their strength, they began climbing the barnacle-covered rocks surrounding the land. Since large rocks completely enclosed the island, students could easily circle it within an hour or two.

Only a few minutes in, they reached a tomb on the island. This tomb became one of the greatest mysteries among students, even though information on Google awaited those who sought it.

The man buried on Pulau Tikus, Seyad Mohamed Kuddoos Oliyullah, had a shrine dedicated to him, which strangely attracted not only Muslims, but also Hindus and Buddhists. Much of his story remained a mystery, however, his importance did not. Many people from different cultures and religions donated to the building of his grave. In a way, this embodied the mingling of different cultures throughout whole island of Penang.

After peering through the windows of the tomb, these students wandered around the area. They climbed up a ladder beside the grave that led to a solar-powered lighthouse, which gave them the opportunity to look out over the small island and see the coast of Penang in the distance.

The rest of the trek involved many scrapes and scratches, boulder-climbing, sweat, and sitting to enjoy the view from the island.

Once they reached their kayaks again, Hofer, Ladner, Mackenzie Jordan (12), Aaron Kelley (12), and Aaron Chand (11) took a moment to recoup before they started on their way back to the school. The sun began to set, and the group quickly pushed their kayaks into the water and began their trip back.

After several minutes of paddling toward the shore, the group stopped in the middle of the journey to watch the sun fall behind the mountains in the distance.

“My favorite part was when we were on our way back and the sun was starting to set, and we took a moment to rest as the waves calmly pushed us toward the shore,” Jordan said, recalling her experience.

The group safely made it back before nightfall. They made sure to wash their equipment, being careful to spray everyone with the hose until they were soaked. The group then walked down the road in their dripping clothes to enjoy a dinner at Hillside before bringing the night to a close.