I am a fan of travel videos which really gets across the feeling of travel, be it introspective or just plain fun. This particular video, Under the Clouds by Vimeo user Gioacchino Petronicce captures the pay off of a seemingly long haul to paradise. The color tones are fantastic and instead of typical sunny beach vacation the journey takes us into Martinique during the rainy season which Gioacchino shoots quite well.

About the video:

These images and these sounds were recorded during a travel from “Toulouse” to “Paris”, and from “Paris” to “Martinique”. We see the North and the South of “Martinique”, the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, during the rainy season in July, 2011.

This small video was thought before I arrive on the scene. The images were not priority but it’s the sound which guided the shoot and the edition.
Sounds recorded with a zoom H4N (post sync).
Images shot with a tripod and a 7D.

Music ; snow angel summer – Voyager One

2011

Flat Mask Comparison above and below water. Image by: Jon Kranhouse

Every wonder why we can’t see properly under water? Well, I looked it up. Our eyes are adapted for viewing in a gaseous (air) environment. Light rays bend less through gasses than they would underwater. In water, light rays are refracted much differently. So how does that affect me? Well, if you like to dive or snorkel it affects three key things: Color, Distance and size. We wear goggles to see underwater. The reason why this works is because of the layer of air between the glass making the light refracts “normally” for us. Keep in mind though that with those goggles on, things will look about 33% bigger in freshwater, 34% bigger in saltwater and 25% closer overall. Our color perception underwater changes the deeper you are and the more particles and how muddy/murky it is in the first place. The following is a guide by Luria et al.

A. For murky, turbid water of low visibility (rivers, harbors, etc.)
1. With natural illumination:
a. Fluorescent yellow, orange, and red.
b. Regular yellow, orange, and white.

2. With incandescent illumination:
a. Fluorescent and regular yellow, orange, red and white.

B. For moderately turbid water (sounds, bays, coastal water).
1. With natural illumination or incandescent light source:
a. Any fluorescent in the yellows, oranges, and reds.
b. Regular yellow, orange, and white.

2. With a mercury light source:
a. Fluorescent yellow-green and yellow-orange.
b. Regular yellow and white.

The most difficult colors at the limits of visibility with a water
background are dark colors such as gray or black.

Aruba's Palm Beach

Aruba’s Palm Beach is that beach – the one that almost every tropical island with a tourist center has — the beach with all of the jet ski and float rentals, the bars and restaurants and a ton of people. It’s located smack in the middle of the Hi-Rise area, where all of the island’s largest and nicest hotels sit. However, unlike a lot of touristy beaches I’ve been to in the Bahamas or in Mexico, Palm Beach does not have people walking up to you trying to sell test tubes of liquor or cheesy t-shirts and jewelry. And that was really nice! It wasn’t that surprising though, given the entire island has a very laid back, friendly vibe. My suggestion would be to snag some shade under one of the dozens of palm trees that line the beach, or the many palapas, grab a drink and proceed to people watch. It’s a real sport at this beach.

Aruba's Palm Beach and Pirate Ship

Keep an eye out for pirate ships here! Jolly Pirates has a snorkeling tour that starts at Palm Beach and takes snorkelers and those who simply want to make merry in the sun on a pirate ship to Malmok and Boca Catalina. The beach closer to the pier where you can board the ships is a bit nicer than the beach in the other direction — it’s simply too crowded with people, boats and tour outfitters. Alternatively, head to the very southern part of the beach, which is also more quiet than the central portion.

We visited Palm Beach on a day when we wanted to do some shopping and be near some restaurants and bars and it worked out perfectly. The huge advantage to Palm Beach is that you never have to worry about finding a bathroom or a bite to eat. And these things are important when you’re too busy relaxing to worry about anything.

A view of Aruba's Palm Beach and Hi-Rise hotel area

IF YOU GO: Take the time to wander around the beautiful hotels along the beach — there are some fabulous gardens and fountains to explore! You can sneak into the Marriott’s lazy river if you’re, well — sneaky. Grab a casual bite at the Pelican Pier Bar - the grouper sandwich was one of the best we had on the island!

Photos: Jenny Bengen-Albert

Aruba's Baby Beach

My husband and I enjoyed Baby Beach on a recent trip to Aruba, but to be completely honest, it didn’t live up to some of the hype we had heard about the beach beforehand (You must rent a car and go! It’s unbelievably fabulous and you will want to pitch a tent and live on the beach forever!) Baby Beach is located on Aruba’s very southwestern tip, and it takes a good 40 minutes to get there by car. The beach is so named because the water is remarkably shallow – rarely more than 5 feet deep – and the beach is in the shape of a large half-moon. As such, Baby Beach is very popular with families with small kids, so it’s not the quietest on the island — but watching kids snorkel is very cute and entertaining (“MOMMY! Look at all the BWUE fishes!) But, the water’s shallow depths also mean that for adults, at least, the snoekleing here isn’t fantastic — I found that too much sand gets kicked up from the bottom on due to the windy summer days and the visibility was nowhere near as good as it was at Arashi or at Boca Catalina. Snorkelers used to be able to easily swim around the reefs that surround Baby Beach, but a recent storm damaged the reefs, and the waves outside of the protected lagoon area are a bit rough and choppy. Not necessarily dangerous, just not the best place to be if you’re an inexperienced snorkeler or swimmer.

With all that said — I would definitely go back to Baby Beach because it is a wonderful swimming beach. The reefs create a large, safe area to swim around in and there are often very little waves to speak of close to shore. The drive to Baby Beach is about 40 minutes from Oranjestad, and it’s a pretty drive. If you’re hungry when you get there, be sure to stop by the Rum Reef Bar & Grill for some tasty fish sandwiches! There are a few palapas to relax under, but I preferred to take a nap under the sea grape trees.

Secluded Baby Beach in Aruba

Baby Beach has a somewhat isolated feel to it, partly due to the fact that it takes a good 40 minutes to get there Oranjestad — Baby Beach is at the very southern tip of the island. It reminded me a bit of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, for some reason. If you’re looking for a more private place to swim near Baby Beach, drive over to Rodger’s Beach –though be forewarned that the setting is a bit strange and spooky. The backdrop is an oil refinery, and the towers are continuously putting out plumes of black and gray smoke. You can’t really smell it and the water looks fine, but it’s just a bit odd. Both Baby Beach and Rodgers Beach are where to go if you want to hang out with locals, simply because getting there is a bit harder than the island’s other beaches.

IF YOU GO: It’s best to rent a car to get to Baby Beach, because the Arubus doesn’t go here — it stops in San Nicolas, but that’s still a ways from Baby Beach. You could also take a taxi for about $40 each way, but car rentals are about $40 per day, so it’s your best bet. Do stop for lunch at the Rum Reef Bar & Grill, the food’s great! You can also rent snorkeling and suba equipment at the JADA shop there next to Rum Reef.

Photos: Jenny Bengen-Albert