A Superstious Culture.

Let it be known that I’m not a superstitious person and at times I have even been known to poke fun at such corni-ness. But there are always certain experiences in everyone’s lives that sure make it tempting to keep a shaker of salt handy. Salt sprinkled around the house in these parts helps keep unwanted visitors away. Living in Southeast Asia can change you. Not overnight per se, but over time and through many unexplained occurrences accompanied by an untold number of stories. I do admit that the level of superstition in this part of the world can border on pure silliness, where every unexplained paranormal experience known to man seems to exist. And why some things might sound absolutely ridiculous, they can also be very eerie.

The "White Lady" in the Guam jungle. You can see her, right?

Believe It or Not!

I remember many years ago, I was standing on top of the cliff at Two Lover’s Leap in Guam - A local tourist attraction renamed Two Lover’s Point for tourism marketing purposes (superstitious reasons?). The attraction sits atop a tall cliff facing west, over-looking the Philippine Sea. This popular tourist spot is an ancient site where two young Chamoru lovers supposedly tied their hairs together and leaped some 400 feet to their death after being denied the acceptance of loving each other, by local tradition (short version). Atop the cliff is located a crater-like hole that is tied into a labyrinth of small caves that descend into the huge rock and exit in various locations on the face of the cliff. This is one particular location among others, where the supposed Taotaomo'na, or ancient, sometimes haunting spirits, are said to reside. To disturb the Taotaomo'na is a challenge to the paranormal imposition of curses, in and of varying degrees.

During that visit to the cliff top, I entertained myself by tossing stones into the cave's dark depths, listening with intent as to determine the depth of the cave. I was told by an elderly Chamoru woman who accompanied us there that I should not toss stones into the cave as I might disturb the spirits that live there. When the flabby side of my right hand swelled to two-times its normal size a day later, my thoughts were that it was the result of an insect or spider bite, even though there were no visible signs of bite marks. Over the course of the next three days, that swelling traversed across my hand (to the thumb and back). I began to get worried and considered visiting the doctor. There was no pain whatsoever and, as an invincible 20 year-old, I could not justify any urgent need to waste time with any doctor. Within a week the swelling was gone completely, but not before being repeatedly scolded by that same Chamoru elder who said “I told you so!” To this day I can still see her pointing her finger with all-so-serious certainty at me.

Two Lovers Point, Guam

There's More!

Then there was this co-worker and friend who lived on Guam when I did and claims to have also suffered the consequences of disturbing the Taotaomo'na when he cut down a tree-limb that was intruding over his apartment balcony. The old Chamoru man who lived in the apartment below him also warned him of impending troubles related to cutting the tree limbs and disturbing the spirits. Like caves, there were certain trees (banyan) that were believed to be known hangouts of the ancient spirits. I learned from my friend about his late-night, out-of-body experience that same week he cut on that tree. I also remember his wife being struck by lightning while inside their living room several weeks later. She survivde and was hospitalized for observation but suffered 3rd-degree burns on her feet where the lightning exited her body.

A "Banyon Tree" where tree-dwelling Taotaomo'na live on Guam

Stories That Never End!

Not too long ago, my wife and I joined up with some good friends who were visiting Guam from the Philippines. We were standing on the dock at the Sumay Cove Marina taking in the surrounding scenery and enjoying the colorful turquois-blue-green waters of that same inlet when it presented itself for inspection from the depths below. A rather large stingray, nearly 5 feet (tip-to-tip) glided graciously up to the surface, as if it were greeting us, and then slowly descended back to the depths and out of sight. In all my years spent in the tropics, I had never seen a ray like this swim up to the surface before. I’m not saying this is uncommon, just that I had never witnessed anything like it. It was like a message to our visitors – “Welcome to Guam!” We were not only impressed with the sighting, but felt honored to be a part of this unique experience.

Stingray

It was just a few days later that we were informed by my sister-in-law in the Philippines that her husband (my brother-in-law) was severely stung in the foot by a Stingray. The weird thing about it was that he was stung approximately during the morning of the same day as our sighting, some 1,500 miles away. He is slowly recovering and his foot swelling is half of what it was just a week ago. The irony of it all is that it’s just way too eerie to investigate the actual times of these rather simultaneous occurrences… we just did not need (or want) to know. At this point in my life, I just do not need any further affirmations into the world of superstition.

... and my "Lucky" number is...

All a Coincidence You Say?

You just never know… especially in this part of the world! Personally, I don’t hold onto any strange beliefs, although I do claim certain lucky numbers - with which I have never won the lotto. They've never done me any good in Vegas either. It seems that living with superstitions would just add more complexities to life and besides, I retired in this part of the world to reduce my stress. I like living without all the complexities of a western lifestyle and I’ve gotten quite used to it.

They do have hands!

As far as I'm concerned, I’ve never known anyone to suffer at the hands of a ghost... well, maybe a little. But these are only my first-hand accounts and there are thousands more stories to be told, I'm sure. BTW, do ghosts even have hands?