Summer has arrived and with it comes the promise of joyous activities that can be enjoyed to their fullest no matter where you might be. To celebrate the heights of warm weather, I list my top 10 sounds of summer in the world, alternating between quiet and noisy activities and locales.
1. Po Lin Monastery, Hong Kong
This monastery includes a 112-foot-high (34-metre-high) bronze statue of Buddha. Known as the Tian Tan Buddha or Big Buddha, the statue is celebrating its 20th year in 2013. The monastery itself dates to 1906 and has two other impressive Buddhas on its grounds on the Ngong Ping Plateau, Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
2. Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Florida
The Magic Kingdom is as far away from a Buddhist monastery as you can get. This mecca for family fun is alive with screaming children and their sometimes screaming parents who may lose patience with the long lines and outrageous prices. Still, it is the world’s No. 1 theme park, with an estimated 17.5 million visitors in 2012. If you go, bring earplugs for you and the kids.
3. Edinburgh International Book Festival, Scotland
The human voice speaks at 60 decibels, well within comfort levels of the human ear. At the annual Edinburgh literary festival, you’ll enjoy some of the planet’s finest wordsmiths telling you stories that are sure to please the ear, inspire the mind, and possibly warm the heart. It takes place August 10–26.
4. Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, Spain
What makes this festival so compelling isn’t only the lineup. Benicàssim is within walking distance to a splendid Spanish beach. This year’s event, on July 18–21, features such raucous acts as The Killers, the Arctic Monkeys, and Queens of the Stone Age. Noise-dampening headphones may not be a bad idea to pack for this show.
5. Politeness of The Open Championship
This year’s edition of the golf major formerly called the British Open takes place at historic Muirfield in Scotland. The tournament runs July 18–21 and the crowds will be hushed as the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy tee off.
6. Sounds of the Vuvuzela, South Africa
During the 2010 World Cup, the planet became acquainted with the pestering noise of the instrument called vuvuzela that is played relentlessly during games in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent. The vuvuzela has been exported to other soccer-playing parts of the globe as well and may even turn up in Brazil, site of the 2014 World Cup.
7. Serenity in the Canadian Rockies
If you’re travelling through British Columbia or Alberta, you will be awestruck by the peaks of the Canadian Rockies, which are home to some of the nation’s must breathtaking national parks, including Banff, Yoho, and Kicking Horse.
8. Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba, Japan
This festival occurs in the mountains and is the largest event of its kind in Japan. Patrons need to hike to the different stages at the festival site, making it one of the more rigorous music festivals in the world. The music is loud and reverberates off the face of peaks. It takes place July 26–28.
9. Hiking the Inca Trail, Peru
This is the path that leads you to Machu Picchu, the majestic “Lost City of the Incas” that is 8,000 feet above sea level and dates back to the 1400s. One of the most spiritual and best-preserved historic sites in the world, Machu Picchu is sure to send you and other onlookers into long moments of silence as you take in its intricacies and magnificent surroundings.
10. Maccabiah Games, Jerusalem
From one ancient site to another, but for a very different kind of activity than the hikes in Peru, the 19th Maccabiah Games, a celebration of Jewish athletes, is held in Jerusalem July 18-31. These are some of the most patriotic competitions you will witness, full of loud cheering, whistling, and the usual noisiness of any sports event.
Wherever you go this summer, make sure to tickle all of your senses, including the ears, and leave prepared with precautions. Many people don’t go out into the heat without suntan lotion or sunglasses that protect from ultraviolet rays. You should also carry earplugs or other protection for your hearing health.
MJ DeSousa, an audiologist and Director of Professional Practice at Connect Hearing, leads a team of hearing professionals across Canada. For more information about hearing health please visit www.connecthearing.ca
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