“I wanted to see Cuba before it changes,” starts off “Incubation,” a short travel film by French multimedia artist Guillaume Le Berre. “But I’m the one that has been changed.”
Through photos and videos captured over a 15-day trip, Le Berre offers a nostalgic look at life in modern-day Cuba. Some of the images are expected: smiling children playing baseball, grand automobiles from the 1950s, sexy salsa dancers at night. Others are more striking: men scavenging in garbage cans, vultures picking at animal carcasses, concrete walls with the letters “CHE” outlined repetitively. With Cuba’s natural beauty juxtaposed against such contrasts, it’s easy to see why the filmmaker was changed, and to remember what it is about travel that changes us all.
[via EcoSalon]
There’s nothing as bewitching as seeing bioluminescent waves crashing onto a night shore. I first saw these as a kid and the memory has always stuck with me. The stars above, the glimmering lights of distant freighters far out to sea and the weird blue surf rushing at me. It’s one of the most vivid memories of my childhood.
How couldn’t it be? This glowing surf is beautiful and mysterious. Well, it’s mysterious if you aren’t a marine biologist. Check out this video to learn just how waves can glow in the dark. It will take some of the mystery out of it, but none of the beauty. Also check out this amazing photo of bioluminescent waves in the Maldives that glowed brighter than the Milky Way.
If you want to learn more, the American Museum of Natural History is having an exhibition titled “Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence,” running until January 6, 2013.
Rock hopper African penguin colonies famously criss-cross the Cape of Good Hope south of Cape Town, South Africa, and one of the most popular spots to see the creatures is at Boulder Beach. There’s a bit of wood decking and infrastructure built around this colony, which makes it easier for tourists to access. As such, though you can get a bit closer to the animals you can expect a bit of a crowd. Don’t get to close either, the animals are still quite wild.
Filmmaker Casey Neistat was recently contracted by sports apparel giant Nike to create a short film about its Fuelband, a high-tech bracelet designed to keep track of our workouts. Nike was hoping to build social media buzz around a new ad campaign that featured the tagline, and Twitter hashtag, #makeitcount. Turns out Casey and his buddy Max “made it count” by using Nike’s money to fund a 10-day round the world adventure that saw them visit Paris, Cairo, Johannesburg and a host of other interesting destinations before running out of money.
The two men filmed their little excursion and the resulting short film can be found below. The video is a fantastic mix of truly great travel destinations interspersed with inspiring quotes from a variety of prominent historical figures. The combination of the two will leave you wanting to make your own round-the-world journey, although figuring out how to get Nike to fund it is an entirely different challenge.