As Peru is turning out to be the noisiest country in the world, I urgently need a time-out. I just want to walk across green meadows, sit by the sea and dig out some ancient artefacts for a week.
The perfect place to do this is Easter Island in Chile. Although “in Chile” is not exactly the right term, because first I have to fly across 3,512 km of Pacific Ocean to get there. This is neither good for the environment, nor for my therewith thoroughly depleted savings. But if I will run out of dough, an island in the middle of the Pacific is the best place to let fate hit me hard.
Thus I will spend the first week of October hiking and marveling in a spot more secluded than any I have ever visited. I am sure you want a postcard.
The Happy Hermit 
It’s noisy even in Mollendo (which looks like a tranquil haven from an assault on the senses!)?
It looks quiet, but it’s amazing how much noise a few neighbors can make. Statistically, 4 Peruvians (and their dogs and roosters) can be as noisy as 122 Europeans.
I am here at the off-season, but it’s the noisiest place I have ever lived. I had to get earplugs which I have to wear at home during the day, or I would freak out. Terrible. – I will return to Europe next year because I can’t stand this noise anymore.
Gosh! Sorry to (ha ha) hear that even Mollendo, which did indeed look quiet, is such an overwhelming auditory assault on the senses. I think having to wear earplugs at home in the day, in itself, might make me freak out!
Here’s a travel journal challenge, should you chose to accept it, and want a distraction before that of Easter Island — as writing sounds rather difficult, not to say impossible, in such distressingly distracting circumstances – earplugs notwithstanding- : can you take a photo which somehow conveys this cacophonous scene, and/or how it feels to be subjected to it, presumably 24/7?
… a video doesn’t count: the challenge is, a still or series of stills!
Jackie
I am afraid that won’t work because it looks tranquil enough. The neighbors who scream and shout look like normal people. The cars that beep all night look like normal cars. And the neighboring houses look normal and the photos wouldn’t show the enormous stereo systems that they have in their living rooms.
I would need to choose a photo of myself with noise protection.
Perhaps the noisy dogs and roosters?!! But I suppose they all look perfectly normal too.
How (or perhaps more importantly, why) do the natives put up with it? (Maybe they’re all hard of hearing as a result, meaning they just don’t hear it?!!).
What is it about Peru that causes this phenomenon to be so universal there, do you know?
After a previous similar experience in Brazil, I almost suspect this is true in most of South America. (Although Bolivia was more civilized. Allegedly Montevideo in Uruguay is also quite tranquil for a capital city.)
It seems that people are either used to it, don’t notice it, don’t mind or think/realize that they can’t change it. When I address the issue, many Peruvians actually admit that it’s bloody noisy.
In Europe, you can experience something slightly similar in some places in Italy. But there was at least the long lunch break between 1300 and 1600 hours.
Thanks Andreas, for these very interesting observations!
Andreas, looking forward to your posts on Easter Island. It’s still on my must-see
Well, thanks to me you won’t need to go yourself. ;-)
Can’t you get there by train? Your previous article made it seem like almost any destination is possible!
I admit that flying after writing a long article on train travel is quite inconsequential. But long train journeys aren’t really possible in South America, sadly. There is a train here and a train there, but none of them are connected. (Although there are more trains for minerals and other goods than for passengers.)
Tengo la impresión que eres mas sensible que otras personas, al ruido.
Obviamente.
Ayer me llamo la atención tu apreciación sobre el nivel de ruido en el lugar donde te encuentras, hace varios años leí un articulo sobre que países en América del Sur son mas ruidosos y se mencionaba a Brasil y Argentina, ademas de que sus poblaciones son las mas “gritonas” hoy me encontré con esto : http://magnet.xataka.com/preguntas-no-tan-frecuentes/estas-son-las-ciudades-mas-ruidosas-del-mundo-y-asi-estan-afectando-a-sus-habitantes.
Es una pena. Quería quedarse en América del Sur por unos años. Sólo a causa del ruido, voy a volver a Europa el próximo año. Aquí es insoportable para mi.
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