Tag: groaning

Norias of Hama

The groaning and creaking from these ancient water wheels is remarkable and unexpected.

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Damaged by the on-going war in Syria, I decided to leave this page here as a record of this sound.

The sounds these water wheels make aren’t very pleasant, but maybe sound tourists shouldn’t restrict themselves to pleasant listening experiences.

These gigantic ancient water wheels were used to raise water from the river and drop it into canals to irrigate fields. Although I’ve heard many water wheels, these ancient noria have a really unique and distinctive sound: creaking and splashing as the wood is distorted by the weight of the water and the endless rotation. Given that these are some of the oldest water wheels in the world, maybe they can be forgiven for their groaning and moaning.

Location

On the Orontes River in Syria

Credits and sources

Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

Experience amazing quiet punctuated by creaking icebergs and tinkling ice on the shoreline.

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I visited this amazingly serene place many years ago when I camped alongside the lake. Lying awake in bed, there was almost silence apart from the sound of the wind and the occasional creaking and groaning of the icebergs and glacier. Ice broken off from the Breidamerkurjokull glacier forms large, strange sculptural shapes which float on the pristine, clear glacial water.

Location

Close to highway number one about 350 km east from Reykjavík. Watch out for the aggressive skuas. Depending on the time of year, there can be lots of bird noise. There is a popular boat trip around the lake, so this is best heard when the other tourists have gone home.

Sources and credits

  1. Photo Tania Ho (c) some rights reserved