By Yannis Vitsos – ENIL Volunteer
The sights of a place are, for many people, the number one criterion when choosing a holiday destination. Most people look for that stimulus that will excite their vision, awaken emotions and thoughts, and become their next Instagram story. There are, however, certain places around the world that compel us to close our eyes and fully experience the miracle of sound.
Get ready, fasten your seatbelts, hold on tight, because this article is about to take your ears on vacation!
The Clap That Can Be Heard Throughout the City
Let us begin in distant India, specifically in the ancient — now ruined — city of Golconda. Its structure is such that, if we stand at the entrance of the city and clap once, the sound of the clap continues to echo off the walls of the buildings for nearly a kilometer. Even more astonishing is the fact that, although everyone within that kilometer radius will be able to hear the echo of our clap, we ourselves will stop hearing it after only a few seconds.
This acoustic trick was actually a method of communication used by the city’s inhabitants in order to warn fellow citizens in case of enemy invasion.
See a video of the trick here: Golkonda Fort 1 km clap
The Center of the Universe
Next stop: Oklahoma, United States of America.
If you ever find yourself in Tulsa, Oklahoma, do not miss the famous pedestrian bridge — the place where the impossible happens.
An apparently innocent, boring, completely ordinary concrete floor, surrounded by flower planters and benches. Try standing inside the circle while your friends remain outside it. Whether you whisper, speak normally, or even shout at the top of your lungs, the people standing only a few centimeters outside the circle will not be able to hear a thing. You, on the other hand, will hear your own voice echoing and sounding ten times louder than it normally would.
And if you are wondering whether you will be able to hear the voices of those standing outside the circle, the answer is yes. Their voices will reach you distorted, their words unclear. And let us not forget that the only things separating you from the other people are benches and flower planters.
Benches and flower planters.
See for your self here: The Mystery Of The Center Of The Universe
All The Voices In My Head…
Imagine enjoying a solitary walk in nature when suddenly you hear people talking right behind you. You turn around, only to realize in horror that the nearest group of people is 140 meters away, while the voices still sound as though they are right next to you.
Do not worry. You are not trapped in some surreal dream caused by the greasy burger and loaded fries you had for dinner. The truth is far less alarming.
You are simply in a suburb of South Australia, admiring one of the country’s most iconic attractions: the so-called “Whispering Wall,” built in 1903 to retain water and prevent flooding. Not long after its completion, locals noticed a rare and fascinating phenomenon. If two people stand at opposite ends of the wall, separated by a distance of 150 meters, they can carry out a completely normal conversation — even whispering — while hearing each other perfectly clearly.
In fact, visitors have claimed that the farther away the other person moved, the louder and clearer they could hear them.
More here: The World Famous Whispering Wall, Barossa Valley, South Australia
It seems that audio tourism has a great deal to offer us. The next time we search for the ideal holiday destination, perhaps we should include this factor in the equation as well.
And maybe we do not need to become Instagram famous this summer after all.
