By Staff Writer
Sound is supposed to carry over longer distances on water, so however far you are and the rattle of drum beat reaches you, as the sun is going doing, look no further than Mulinu’u.
What you do not hear behind the rat ta ta ta is the hollow sound of a body of water being dragged by force.
Fortunately, you won’t also be able to hear the wheezing breath of burnt lungs unless you are in the water.
The strangled combination of a person desperate for oxygen or dying from the lack of it can make one jump and walk on water to save whoever the poor soul is.
But fear not! What you hear is the normal mix of sounds from rowers, paddlers and swimmers who are currently turning the tip of the Mulinu’u peninsula into a big health splash.
The big noise makers are the fautasi crews warming up to loud music before they carry their oars onto the boat.
The drum beats that are heard from afar are to set the beat for the rowers to time their rowing.
But these guys would disappear to a distant where the drum rattles and the skipper’s whistle are the only sounds that will carry over to land.
The whooshing echo that carries closer to shore or the seawall at Mulinu’u is from the fleet of canoe paddlers.
These ‘boat people’ paddle in either single or double size canoes but there are some big enough to sit 6 or more paddlers.
These are the ones making the hollow whoosh sound of water when they dip their paddles in and drag the water backwards.
After speed paddling ‘to the death’, usually close to the finishing line, the scary, agonized sound that follows are from ‘dying paddlers’ in a rush to suck in life giving air.
There are times when the person making the sounds may not be on the boat but in the water.
When that happens it is usually an innocent swimmer the paddlers in their mad rush to the finishing line ran over.
Most of the times the swimmer is fortunate to escape with just a head lump, which the paddlers seem to give little notice or care to.
The Mulinu’u peninsula has become increasingly popular over recent years with the growing public interest in water sports and health.
The busy activities of rowing and paddling over the past few weeks has turned the spot into a big health splash for all who are enjoying the afterhours break.
A development project similar to the beautification work in front of the Government Building is more deserving of the most popular seafront location in Apia.