Fantastic experiences on the Muluku Islands flying with crazy bamboo and petting an eel * 

~ Magdalena Gigova ~

 “This actually is one very mystical and ancient ritual also known as “the crazy bamboo”, which can be seen only on the Muluku Islands in Indonesia”

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even complete strangers are incredulously hugging a long bamboo tree. On the side the most ordinary man is muttering something at coconut shells. He lifts his primitive night-light, gets closer to the long tree and together with the smoke the bamboo goes crazy. The modern, sane people begin to feel as if some sort of unknown power is making the tree act as if it’s alive. It pushes them to one and to the other side, it tries to get away and at the next moment it just lifts them a few inches off the ground. Sounds strange, right? Even if we accept that the levitation is a result of the group’s psychosis and it is stimulated by the scent of the enchanting herbs, what can we say about the numerous witnesses, who are waiting for their turn at the “bamboo gila”. This actually is one very mystical and ancient ritual also known as “the crazy bamboo”, which can be seen only on the Muluku Islands in Indonesia.

You have never heard about this place? Then maybe you are not that big of a fan to the exotic and the diving. The Muluku islands are part of Indonesia, they spread over 851  000 kilometers of land and see. The hard ground is actually around 7.6% or 86 000 kilometers, that are spread between 1000 different islands. The locals call the capital of the Islands – Ambon “the city of the thousand churches”, even though after the Japanese destroyed them during the Second World War their number decreased drastically.

The “ambonians” (the citizens of Ambon) have darker skin color and curlier hair than most Indonesians and they are proud exactly with the magic of the “crazy bamboo”. This ritual can provoke empathy only here. Whoever took part in this ritual already knows that the shaman cuts a 3 meters long and 15 centimeters thick bamboo stick. He ignites the his nigh-lighter with shells of bamboo and nuts, he casts short and only known to him mantras in the ancient language “ternate”, after which he yells three times “Gila”. The bamboo tree is being held by 7 people – fans of strong experiences and fantastic emotions. Out of personal experience I tell you that it seems like the tree is floating by itself in different directions until the shaman stops it with one single gesture of his hand. The unexplainable power throws the people like tree leaves, while they are trying to overpower the “dance” of the bamboo. The locals here claim that the more skillful priests of the ancient gods were able to achieve levitation – the crazy bamboo lifted them over 20 centimeters off the ground. Our wizard was called Friz – a native born ambonian, who was painted all over his face with magical symbols. Apparently he was a little out of shape, because he was throwing us from one side of the square, to the other but he was not able to lift us in the air. Even so the sense of the unclear energy, which guides the will and the mysteriousness behind this crazy bamboo stayed. It is unclear how and from where did the crazy bamboo appear on Muluku Islands, but it is said that this is an ancient mystical ritual for lifting the spirit of the soldiers before battle.  Because nowadays there are no fighting tribes on the island the ritual with the “Bambu Gila” is turned into attraction for the tourists – a real challenge to the imagination.

The preparations for Bambu Gila start with a special ceremony, during which the shaman prays to the spirits that are haunting the bamboo to allow him to conduct the ritual. “The crazy bamboo” is chopped off of the mountain with volcanic origin called Gamalama, which is situated in the northern part of the archipelago – in Ternate. Then they rub the tree with coconut oil and cut it to the appropriate size. After that they search for seven volunteers ready to hold the bamboo. The shaman goes around and casts his strange prayers, while the tree itself becomes completely incontrollable. Even though the modern man is skeptical about this whole thing when he sees the crazy tree “playing” with the group, he begins to believe in magical powers. Sometimes the shaman gives the tree such a heavy weight that the seven volunteers cannot lift it and they collapse to the ground after their efforts. The ritual ends with the shaman’s defeat over the evil powers. And his percussions are distributed to the public so they can all try their musical abilities with a childish enthusiasm.

The other attraction on the Muluku Islands that goes beyond people’s fantasy is petting eels. It is known that here is the place where the poorest person eats a lobster for dinner. When he gets hungry, he just goes and catches it. The population of Ambon eats around 55 kilograms of fish per year. Some of them even more. Some people even use it as a pet. The village Waii complements its very modes budget by an unusual tourist service. The main tourist revenues come from algae farms, renting boats, diving and fishing. But nobody is ever allowed to go fish for eels.

The locals bring up the two meters long creatures with love. The strange feeling that you are petting something that resembles a snake so much makes you want to take of your shoes and go into the water where all the pricy fishes are, just like the small peasant children. The soap is clearly not frightening them, because even with the pouring rain the women around are hitting their laundry into the stones. The small children, who want to impress us, since we are their guests, are doing all sorts of loops into the water. One young man dressed only with a loincloth starts to break raw eggs and makes strange noises, so he can attract the eels. We expect them, but they don’t come. As if they are scared to get wet from the pouring rain. Finally one eel plucks up courage and comes to us.

* This text is part of book Indonesia in eyes of Bulgarians