Historic Kota Tinggi, once the seat of the Johor Empire...

Greetings dear readers. Lately I've been sidetracked by recent developments. By right, I should be posting articles across my 3 blogspots about my recent travelling in Johor until it is fully completed before venturing into other topics but circumstances made me travel to Kedah on Sunday where I started a whole new range of adventure and now I'm Perak where another range of stories unfolded.

Thus consider these posting as an attempt to get right back on track. It is now late at night and I've just returned from a one-day 260km plus round Perak trip visiting the tombs of 10 Sultans and many more members of the nobility and also stopped at a number of mosque. So let me just get this over and done for yaa... Consider this a continuation of the article And now, a quaint look at Johor Bahru! made almost 2 weeks ago!

27th December 2007. I left the city of Johor Bahru for Kota Tinggi taking a non-express bus which regularly made stops. Nearly 2 hours later and by lunch-time I arrived there. First thing I looked for was a place to have lunch. Then I saw the restaurant above, the name "Batu Sawar" is the name of the one of the capitals of the Johor Empire, a thriving remnant of the grand Melaka Empire which practically existed for almost 400 years, starting with the fall of the city of Melaka to the Portugese 1511.

Actually, Batu Sawar was a place located within the present-day district of Kota Tinggi. The name itself was enough to arose my curiousity. I went nearer and saw a lot of historical information hanging on the walls. So I thought it should be a good place to start my exploration of Kota Tinggi...

I took a seat and ordered lunch. At the same time my mind was plotting on how to spend the day and the next day. Which historical places to visit et cetera...

As I've already made some postings regarding the places in the blogspot SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) , let me just get ahead... You could read about some of the places I went to by clicking these...

Makam (tomb of ) Bendahara Tun Habab
Makam (tomb of) Sultan Mahmud Mangkat DiJulang
Makam (tomb) of Laksamana Bentan

While waiting for lunch to be served, I studied the writings on the walls. It's not just about the history of Johor, there's also pictures of Kota Tinggi (and many parts of Johor) suffering from a big flood about a year ago... The kind of flood said to only happen once in a 100 years... Considered strange by many as it happened when the wet season should have flooded the East Coast. Instead it was almost dry there while Johor suffered from a very unseasonal attack of excess rain...

Strange more so in Kota Tinggi as the name, literally translated as "The high fort" made many thought that the whole town is located on high ground should be safe from flood. Who would have thought the water rose up to as much as 2 floors of shops and houses... For many it seemed absurd! Anyway it has already happened and thus give rise to much news. Hmm... To think again, you could consider the flood as very historical event indeed...

The picture above is actually taken after lunch is finished... Inside a shopping complex right in front of the Batu Sawar restaurant.

I thought it rather odd and funny at the same time... To think that they even advertise pictures and CDs of the Kota Tinggi flood for sale, with the advertising board right next to a record shop! Should be worth a food for thought. That's all ya! :]