Another Galapagos
Located off the coast of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, the island of Socotra contains some of the world's most astonishing and unique plant forms. More than a third of the 800 or so species on the island are found nowhere else on earth.
Dragon's Blood Tree
Found only on the island's plateaus, this plant was christened the dragon's blood tree by traders who believed that its crimson sap was actual dragon's blood with medicinal properties.
Populace
Because the island belongs to Yemen, a country with very strict regulations regarding travel, Socotra draws very few tourists. Even the most adventurous travelers are deterred by the country's association with radical Islam.
The Socotran Fig
This sample of
Dorstenia gigas has grown against a limestone rock face. The plant supposedly does not need soil to grow.
Granite Peaks
The island was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a Natural World Heritage Site in July 2008.
Lush
In ancient times, Socotra's various endemic aloes, like
Aloe perryi, above, were used in medicines and for cosmetics.
Cave
Monsoon rains have cut through the island's limestone to create an elaborate network of gigantic caves, some of which can be explored.
Desert Rose Tree
The cliff-dwelling
Adenium obesum has shiny, rubbery bark, which thins gradually and splits into skeletal branches, from whose tips fragile pink flowers erupt.
Matrix
Despite Socotra's isolation, its plant life is under threat from human encroachment, imported flora and fauna and, some scientists say, climate change. Alarmingly, recent reports suggest there have been no new natural saplings of the dragon's blood tree.
Potential
Strapped for cash and aware of the island's uniqueness, Yemeni authorities are working to find ways to increase eco-tourism to Socotra. "Socotra is the safest island in Yemen," says a tourism official. "We have never had any security issues there. People think Yemen is dangerous, but hearing the news is not the same as seeing for yourself."
The Alien Beauty of Socotra
- Photo Essays - TIME
Old Town Sanaa - Yemen 49
Qatar
Daytime at Old Souq Waqif
I will try to post some of them as I have been doing today but there are literary thousands of them so only a small portion will be posted here probably.
