Romance of Gunung Ledang

Thurs 5 May 2008 8.50 p.m. -Being a Johorean (my hometown is Muar), I take pride in the natural wonders that the state has to offer. Tucked away in the small town of Tangkak in the state of Johor is Gunung Ledang and the Sargill waterfall. My family took a much-needed two-day break (30 - 31 May) and travelled the lonely road lined with oil palm and rubber trees to our destination. We were not disappointed by what Gunung Ledang and the waterfall had to offer us. It felt good to be surrounded by nature - trees, trees and more trees!

Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the holiday-makers, whether local or from out of town. Malaysians are notoriously renown for littering and the waterfall area was not spared. Rubbish was overflowing and flies were having a heyday. As a result, we in our Gunung Ledang Resort room could not even open our glass door to welcome the slowly descending morning mist. We just had to open the door a wee bit and the flies would make a beeline for our room! Such was the sad state of affairs.

Anyway, for those who are not aware, Gunung Ledang (formerly known as Mount Ophir) is shrouded in mystery. Legend has it there was a beauitful Majapahit princess who lived in the mountain. The last sultan of Melaka, Sultan Mahmud Shah, was so besotted with her that he pledged he would do anything to marry her. However, the princess asked him for something which he could not give - seven bowls of his beloved son's blood. As such, the sultan's hopes of marrying the mysterious princess were dashed. It is said that her free spirit still roams the hills of Gunung Ledang. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we did not encounter any sign of her!