From Matt Gavin
Baku, Azerbaijan
I empathise with James Geary’s worries over salvaging pristine natural
sounds (Forum, 13 April, p 45). Coming from New Zealand, I expected that the
country to which I was moving—Azerbaijan—would be one of the
quietest on Earth. But even deep in the remote bush, the ambience consists of
the drone of jet aircraft (albeit only one or two an hour at 30 000-odd
feet).
It was therefore a surprise to discover the most peaceful place I have ever
come across was in Europe. Lake Myvatn in Iceland had no mechanical thrum, no
human hum all day. It was only then that I realised how rare “silence” actually
is and it is this that became my most enduring impression of that beautiful
place. It was with a degree of guilt that I corrupted it by returning to my car
and starting it up to leave.
