If there is something that a lot of people from other parts of the world are envious of, it is the island’s spectacular cloud formations especially over the beaches.
Yes that’s right, beaches and cloud formations. I have been posting photos of cloud formations taken on Saipan, Tinian and Rota for the past months and I still get surprised each time I receive a comment gushing over “how beautiful and spectacular our beaches and the sky are” and so on.
The next time I get another comment, I don’t say “oh yeah?” anymore but start to look at Saipan’s sky with new eyes.
You may have taken cloud watching for granted, but this is not only a fun hobby but one that you can do without spending money to buy equipment. It is free. All that is required is free time, and lots of imagination.
Cloud watching is relaxing. Have you ever tried lying on your back under the shade of a tree or on a moonlit night and watch the clouds? Clouds are always the same, and yet they are always very different. It allows you to use your imagination. Cloud watching is very fascinating, especially if you are airborne. I could make up volumes of stories while watching the clouds from a plane window.
Saipan offers this chance free to anyone. There are no buildings to obscure your view, and the clouds are almost always spectacular every day.
In these times where everyone is so busy with jobs and commitments and most are rushing to get home and glue themselves to the computer, there is rarely time to stop and take a few minutes off to relax and look at the clouds.
If you’re stressed out at the office, take a few minutes to stretch your legs, go out and watch the clouds for a few minutes.
If you haven’t done it before, try spending a few minutes at Micro Beach, at the Garapan Fishing Base or at your favorite hangout where you have a view of the vast sky and you can be entertained watching the clouds take on different forms.
Get some time off and take the whole family to educate the kids about clouds and teach them the art of cloud watching. People in big cities who only see smog and a gray sky envy us.
Always carry a camera when you go cloud watching, and keep on clicking. You will be surprised at the variety of shapes and features so rarely seen that you may capture.
So what do you think? Is the cloud a teddy bear? Or is it a ghost?
