Sounds of Guyana

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

The drive from the airport into the centre of Georgetown was filled with sights – colonial-style wooden buildings (usually on stilts – this place is below sea level and liable to flood), fields of sugar cane, beer and rum distilleries and a minibus nose-down in a ditch with a crowd (all seemingly unharmed) surrounding it.

It was pretty obvious I wasn’t in Birmingham anymore.

Since settling at the apartment it’s the sounds that are the most distinctive; there’s always something making noise somewhere. After only a few days I’ve realsised I’ve started to tune out many of the most common sounds. Before I start to ignore them completely, here’s what’s been filling my ears:

The car horns that are used almost as frequently as indicators (and for the same purpose).

The dogs that erupt at night if you let the door to outside bang shut. I’ve learnt my lesson now.

The crickets that chirrup with a metronomic rhythm; at first I wondered if their noise was being made by a generator.

Chutney’s a new one on me – an uptempo mix of soca (think souped-up calypso) and Bollywood music. They seem to like it at the rum bar just over the road.

My shouty neighbour who, at 6am every morning, has an impassioned conversation/argument with someone on the phone. Still, the early starts mean I can get a little work done before I go off to teaching.

We’re off to an open mic poetry night at a place called Upscale tonight. Or tomorrow. Reports seems a little confused. Either way, it seems pretty apt, so I’ll try to make it along and report back.

(Pic – Station Street, Georgetown by Chris Unitt)

tagged under: chris unitt.digitalguyana.georgetown.guyana.open mic.sounds.station street