Photo snowking24
Do you hear that?
The clatter of a busy market. Wheels going 60 miles per hour on badly patched highway. Do you hear the whooping laughter 3 blocks distant tittering off into uncontrolled giggling?
If you have your iPod on you don’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I love music. Hans Christian Anderson said “Where words fail, music speaks.” and I couldn’t agree more.But those ear buds are a barrier to the outside world, cutting the listener off from the unique cacophony that flavors each place.
I was late to the iPod party.I purchased my first, an unassuming gray little shuffle, just 2 months ago. And yes, while jogging and cleaning it feels like a godsend to have Bonobo and Led Zeppelin crooning and thumping, feeling the exquisite audiophile euphoria of the iPod user.
Photo Martin KrzywinskiBut at what cost?
On a recent cross country early dawn bus ride I rested my forehead against the cool rattling glass. Looking about the bus at the other travelers, most of them napped or stared into the distance with white ear buds dangling.
I was jealous, yeah. I was also conscious that by bringing favorite songs with them across the world they tint the newness of the place with the familiar.
They were in effect cutting themselves off from something both subtle and profound. Something essential to travel. Sound.
How can this effect your travel writing?
You cannot know a place unless you hear it, unless you listen and let it speak to you. Oh, you can see a place, sure. And you may describe it in pithy, incandescent detail. But you cannot fully experience a place unless you actively listen. Not to what you want to listen to,but what you would hear if you were to surrender and sit still.
The creaking, swooshing, chatter of travel is a vital part of the experience and can color your writings.
Try this.
Shut your eyes. Sit and listen for 5 minutes. This may seem like a long time, hopefully after a few moments you will become accustomed to being a listening thing and new layers of sound, new secrets, will reveal themselves.
Let those secrets inform your travel writings.
And when there is nothing to hear…enjoy! Let the emptiness be your playlist. The great French mime Marcel Marceau put it well, “Music and silence combine strongly because music is done with silence, and silence is full of music.”
What do you think? Am I just a crotchety ol geezer or am I on to something? Do you travel with your iPod?
Community Connection
Well if you are gonna listen to your iPod, you may as well make it good! Check out 10 Music Blogs to Keep Your iPod Stacked with Fresh Beats.
Want to learn the craft of travel writing?
Sign up for Matador’s new Travel Writing School and get the skills you need.
About the Author
More By This Author
- From Cave Paintings to the Internet: 50,000 years of Information Technology (4 comments)
- Notes on Having AK-47s Pointed at You (8 comments)
- Travel Video Ninjas, Attack! (1 comments)
Related Posts
40 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
I agree completely. When I travel, I do so without any mp3 player, and with as little electronic goods as possible. I’d like to think I make the most of my experiences, especially in remote places I have worked hard to visit….drowning out 1/5 of your sensory experience is nonsense to me, especially when there’s so much good (and bad) local music everywhere in the world!
↵ -
i battle an increasing proclivity to bring more and more electronic equipment with me when i travel, even for a day trip. The need to blog, shoot video, take photos, update my twitpic…ect can get in the way of exactly wat i am trying to do; escape.
the keyword here is balance!
↵ -
I am an audio junkie and listen to NPR and podcasts all the time. But you’re right. I make a point of leaving the ol’ pod at home sometimes to appreciate what I can hear. It makes a difference!
↵ -
In my business (boutique hotels) I often see properties commit the crime (well as far as I’m concerned) of playing music that drowns out the natural sounds that enhance a guests stay. I’m often disappointed to have to attempt to ignore the hotel’s play list while trying to listen to the sound of waves, birds, leaves bristling in the wind and even the happy gardener or maid that is softly singing while they go about their day.
“The sounds of the destination” are extremely important for the overall experience.
Thanks for the post!
Sylvie – Director – Mexico Boutique Hotels
↵ -
I am so glad you chimed in on this Sylvie.
You speak to the notion that we can somehow improve upon what could be considered paradise.
Even now, my window is propped open, mostly I hear the rush of traffic on the i99 freeway, but also seagulls, tour groups, motorcycles, the clinking of trash bags being hauled out and passing conversations…not the same as crashing waves…but it has a certain gestalt that can only be Pioneer Square…better than anything i have in my iTunes!↵ -
Good points, Josh. And of course, if you do nothing but stare at girls’ bikini-bottomed butts all day (whether decorated with an iPod or not), you’ll miss a lot, too!
↵ -
but as you stare at the bikini bottomed butts what do you hear??
↵ -
I kind of miss my walkman with radio. My few mixer cassettes went untouched, while I cruised the medium wave and FM bands for local music and chatter. Usually when I was alone in some cheap hotel room before crashing after the day’s walkabout.
↵ -
I love my iPod on my morning walk to work when it’s early and quiet but I’m starting to get out of the habit of popping in the earbuds any time I leave the house. I’ve found myself pausing music to basically eavesdrop on funny conversations between tourists and gripmen on the cable car or listen to street performers. You never know what you could be missing.
↵ -
i mostly wear mine when I bike across the city or work out at the gym… I don’t know how it is other places, but here in Seattle everybody and their momma has their ear buds in and while I am taking coffee outside I have to mourn what these people are missing…
good times with your favorite music or a further sequestering of the individual among the masses..hmmm↵ -
Josssssssssssssssh, super dangerous to wear those earbuds while biking, duder!
↵ -
Insert plug here. See tip #6 for the cyclists.
↵ -
hey girl, whatever keeps the creepsters at bay!
↵ -
I’d never even considered this, but it makes a ton of sense. I thought my ipod was broken the first five months I lived in Brazil, and once I figured out they were magically healed, I used them far too much. Now I’d much rather hear the waves crashing on the shores of Barra.
↵ -
I live in Shanghai and have lived abroad in noisy, crowded, car-honking cities for the past decade and a half. It’s all very nice to be able to say you’ve experienced a place with all your senses but sometimes you just need to block it out. Sensory overload is exhausting.
I’ve had days in Shanghai (and before that in Istanbul and before that London) where I really really didn’t want to hear any more traffic/construction noises and really didn’t want to hear more guys muttering stupid come-ons or shop keepers trying to hustle me… Even when abroad-abroad (by this I mean, travelling away from my already overseas home!), it’s nice to have some familiar beloved music to soothe you on a bazillion hour bus ride across East Java.
↵ -
I feel you. The pollution, air and noise mostly, in Saigon made me long for a head filled with my exclusive music. Sometimes you need to escape, drift away…and itsn’t it amazing that we have the technology for that to happen?
In my life with have gone from 8 track to iPod! amazing!
↵ -
How about when you’re crammed into the back of a van on a mountain road with 10 puking passengers? I’m quick to pull the plugs, but sometimes I clutch that iPod like my life depends on it ;D
↵ -
Good to see somebody addressing this.
It’s something I have avoided for close to 20 years. First with the walkman, then the iPod. Don’t get me wrong iPods, laptops and cellphones are all fine. But they are mostly things you enjoy alone.Right now Twitter is hot and I tweet with the rest of them, but rarely when I travel.
↵ -
Yep. Definitely crotchety ol geezer
I totally agree. Sound is taken for granted, probably because the amount of noise, and the fact that sight gets in the way. I do make it a point sometimes when I’m sitting somewhere to close my eyes and just listen.
↵ -
You had me until the mime part. JK
↵ -
I agree, kinda.
The part I agree with is the not being a part of where your traveling. If you want everything exactly the way it is at home, save your money and stay home.
However if the new iTouch is what rumors say it is, it’s one of the things on my must pack list. NOT for the music for everything else. The video will be a nice backup or spare when you don’t want to carry a camcorder. The mic will allow you to not bring a phone and use just use skype (or hopefully the infamous google voice app). The storage might allow me not to bring an external drive as I plan on mailing back or uploading photos while on the road (yes I know that’s going to be possible everywhere but where it is it’s going to be very useful). In a pinch I can even post to my blog. If there’s no wifi it’ll stay in my pack.
It’s a tool not a crutch.
↵ -
Great insight! But I wouldn’t kill the iPod altogether… There are now great inexpensive microphones that can be attached to the iPhone, iPod Touch, etc., that allow you to record ambient sound, on-the-spot interviews, etc. This is an essential part of my toolkit. Whether it is that I wish to embed ambient sound to a 360º panoramic image, or incorporate it into a slide show, I find that my iPod is… un-killable!
Cheers,
Paco
↵ -
Great article.
It’s so easy to keep ourselves wrapped in our own little world when we tune out with our iPods. It’s easy to miss the atmosphere that the sounds of a place can bring to an experience traveling.
I use mine mostly for music on long drives as a way to drown out road noise and other rattles in the car. Sometimes with the right mix can almost become a personal soundtrack that etches the trip in your mind.
So I think there are pluses and minuses to the iPod but you make a great point.
Mike
↵ -
I love the points you make in this article – I was also a latecomer to ipods, and although at home I’m listening to music at almost every opportunity, I leave my ipod at home every time I travel. Airports and bus rides can be boring, but that music from ‘the other life’ taints the new experiences for me. I also get very frustrated when I’m traveling and can’t make friends with fellow travelers because they’re plugged into home – either because of an ipod, phone, or laptop!
↵ -
Great article! I’d been thinking about this kind of thing for awhile and now I’m training myself to leave my iPod at home and just listen to everything that’s going on around me – whether it be on the metro, the bus or in the streets.
So yesterday while I was riding the Subte in Buenos Aires after work, I closed my eyes and just listened. And you were right! After a few moments all of the sounds became magnified and I started noticing things that I had never heard before. (Along with some new smells too.) Plus I love eavesdropping on conversations in foreign countries. (I’m not nosy, it helps with my language acquisition!)
I definitely agree with maryanne though. When I was living in Santiago de Chile, sometimes there would be so much noise from construction, traffic and men making dirty comments, I would get frustrated and putting on my iPod was an instant mood lifter. So I do think there can be some kind of balance.
↵ -
I agree whole-heartedly. It’s such a shame to see people rushing through the day plugged in and isolated, when even the most mundane sounds add completely to the particular atmosphere of a location. I was given an mp3 player as a gift a few months ago, but still haven’t learned to use it because I simply don’t care to listen to music as I’m out, and consequently be shut out from everything around me. Travel is about opening up, not locking yourself away!
↵ -
I visited NYC for the first time this year and I’d have missed a lot if I’d had my iPod jacked in the whole time, especially on the subway. It took me a couple of stops before I realized that it wasn’t the Metro playing music at every stop, it was street performers. I’d have completely missed the gentleman playing the Erhu (a two stringed Chinese instrument).
↵ -
Really couldn’t agree less. I am on a 12-15 month trip. With lots of long, long bus rides and such (long meaning 20+ hours). There is basically no way I could survive without my iPod. Blaring movies in South America. Horrid music at max volume in Africa. There have been times that I literally would have pulled my hair out with my iPod. Plus, sometimes just hearing a good song puts a smile back on my face after a bad day. Use it all the time? Of course not. But don’t bring one?? Not in my book. Michael. mobilelawyer.blogspot.com
↵ -
I agree with your points, Josh, but I think there is another side to the story. As I sat on the train a couple of days ago, I fired up the iPod toward the end of the trip. The song that was playing made me excited and the adrenaline made me focus on the world going by me out the window much more than just a minute before. It was as if I had my own life soundtrack.
I think it is important to have balance, as with all things. When I hike alone, I like to take out the ear pieces for at least 15 or 20 minutes in order to hear the “silence” (there really is no silence, ever!) around me. But I also jam out and spend more time enjoying the scenery BECAUSE of my iPod.
↵ -
your article seems to be an “all or nothing” approach to the ipod, or any audio player i suppose. whenever i travel i always have my ipod with me, but i use discretion when and how often i use it–and i still manage to use it a lot. it helps to get through long bus rides, helps to drown out noise while i’m falling asleep, and any other time i want to hear some tunes. but when i think about the things i heard in other countries i don’t think about the music i was playing on my ipod. for instance when i think about laos i can distinctly hear the music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSP4×0yoJdg) played on buses and virtually every public space, i remember the women in the market calling out to customers, i remember the touts calling as i walked down vientianne streets. so i think it’s more when where you choose to use your ipod that determines whether it’s a hindrance to experiencing a place. that’s not really contrary to what you said…just my two cents:)
↵ -
I think Ipods can be miracles at times. But there’s nothing like seeing someone all plugged in to their music that stops me from striking up a conversation. If you’re looking to connect with people and look outgoing, plugging in.. probably not the best idea.
On the other hand when I just feel like zoning out and having some time of my own to think, it can be helpful. Balance is best!↵ -
A week before I went on a trip to Europe this summer, my ipod broke. Needless to say I did not replace it in that amount of time. However, my soundtrack for the summer included the sounds of my favorite places: a drummer in the Paris metro, ridiculous tourist conversations on an Amsterdam-Liege train, and the birds chirping (more like screeching actually) outside my grandparent’s house. I would have missed a lot of that had I been connected to my headphones the whole time. I still don’t have an ipod–and I don’t miss it!
↵ -
Not to be the “been-there, done that” annoying know it all blogger (like some of those on Thorn Tree), but I could travel in Europe without an iPod also.
But try a 30 hour bus ride in South America. Or a 15 hour ride on the top of a cargo truck in Africa. You are gunna want it then. For sure. “Atmosphere” is nice — but crappy music played at peak volume at 3 a.m. needs to somehow be drowned out. If sleep matters to you at all.
mobilelawyer.blogspot.com
↵ -
Wow… perhaps you are right….darn it… no Ipod for travel… i guess i’ll resort to biting my nails…
↵ -
i couldn’t agree more!
when i went to Vanuatu recently, i took my ipod (an ancient second-hand, second-gen mini) with me, but truth be told it was probably a waste of space.
i think i listened to it for about 1/2 of the trip on the way there and about 2/3 of the way back… other than that i didn’t even give it a second-thought
↵ -
I couldn’t agree more… i pod is for jogging not travelling..
↵ -
I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for the article Josh.
↵ -
Yes I always do, storing various files and music.
↵ -
Thought-provoking article. I try to leave the ipod at home (meaning the hostel/hotel) whenever I’m in a new place. But man, is a music a necessity when in transit. (Love bonobo, btw). I think I would have pulled my hair out many times in airports without the company of vampire weekend, rodrigo y gabriela, radiohead, etc…
↵
