kalspiros
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- Επόμενο Ταξίδι
- remaining UK
- Ταξίδι-Όνειρο
- yeah, whatever...
Πρόσφατα έλαβα αυτό το mail. έχει εικόνες από τα νησιά Socotra τα οποία πρώτη φορά άκουσα. σας παροτρύνω να ρίξετε μια ματιά στις φωτογραφίες καθώς και να διαβάσετε το συνοδευτικό κείμενο που έλαβα με το mail (ακολουθεί). Ίσως αυτά να είναι ικανά να αλλάξουν το «Ταξίδι Όνειρο» στο profile σας! (Menia μόλις είδα ένα post σου για τα νησιά! τελικά ακόμα να τα επισκεφτείς?)
Socotra Island
It is like being on a different planet ....
These pictures and information are excellent viewing and reading.
Socotra Island : you have to see it to believe it
This island simply blows away any notion about what is considered "normal" for a landscape on Earth.
Imagine waking up on the Socotra Islandand taking a good look around you . After a yelp of disbelief, you'd be inclined to think you were transported to another planet - or traveled to another era of Earth's history.
The second would be closer to the truth for this island, which is part of a group of 4 islands, has been geographically isolated from mainland Africa for the last 6 or 7 million years. Like the Galapagos Islands , this island is teeming with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, a full 1/3 of which are endemic, I.e. Found nowhere else on Earth.
The climate is harsh, hot and dry, and yet - the most amazing plant life thrives there. Situated in the Indian Ocean 250 km from Somalia and 340 km from Yemen , the wide sandy beaches rise to limestone plateaus full of caves (some 7 kilometers in length) and mountains up to 1525 meters high.
The name Socotra is derived from a Sanscrit name, meaning "The Island of Bliss"... Is it the beaches? The isolation and quiet? Or the strange and crazy botanical allure?
Alien-looking plants: H. P. Lovecraft's secret inspiration?
Was the famous Chtulhu myths creator aware of these forbidding mountains with their hauntingly weird flora (think of plant mutations from his "The Color out of Space") ? We almost tempted to call Socotra the other "Mountains of Madness" - the trees and plants of this island were preserved thru the long geological isolation, some varieties being 20 million years old
Getting around can be a challenge, as there are almost no roads
Despite the fact that this island has around 40,000 inhabitants, the Yemeni government put in the first roads just 2 years ago - after negotiations with UNESCO, which has declared this island a World Natural Heritage Site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave in an otherwise troubled world. If you decide to visit there, you can forget about beachfront hotels and restaurants; this island is geared towards Eco-tourism and sustaining the local economy and way of life.
This island is a birder's paradise as well, with 140 different species of birds; 10 of which are not found anywhere else in the world. A unique Socotra warbler, sunbird, starling, bunting, sparrow and cisticola are among the ones found here. There are also Socotra Cormorants:
To give you a glimpse of Socotra's and Yemen 's in general totally unique architecture, check out this place located on the mainland:
Al Hajarah, Yemen - Walled city in the mist
Socotra is one of those "lost world" islands (separated from the world six million years ago) where intrepid travelers - particularly those seeking exotic nature and wildlife in a remote tropical setting - can go days on end without rubbing shoulders with that less -than-endangered species.tourists.
Known for decades as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean , it's the world's tenth richest island for endemic plant species. And the biggest island in the Middle East 125 kilometers in length and 45 kilometers across.
Meanwhile the landscape is one of contrasts, for example, it has isolated nature preserves with dazzling wildlife (including 900 species of plants, and the famous Dragon's Blood Tree "dracaena cinnabara" and the some of rarest birds that exist nowhere else in the world), and picturesque sandy beaches.
Socotra Island
It is like being on a different planet ....
These pictures and information are excellent viewing and reading.
Socotra Island : you have to see it to believe it
This island simply blows away any notion about what is considered "normal" for a landscape on Earth.
Imagine waking up on the Socotra Islandand taking a good look around you . After a yelp of disbelief, you'd be inclined to think you were transported to another planet - or traveled to another era of Earth's history.
The second would be closer to the truth for this island, which is part of a group of 4 islands, has been geographically isolated from mainland Africa for the last 6 or 7 million years. Like the Galapagos Islands , this island is teeming with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, a full 1/3 of which are endemic, I.e. Found nowhere else on Earth.
The climate is harsh, hot and dry, and yet - the most amazing plant life thrives there. Situated in the Indian Ocean 250 km from Somalia and 340 km from Yemen , the wide sandy beaches rise to limestone plateaus full of caves (some 7 kilometers in length) and mountains up to 1525 meters high.
The name Socotra is derived from a Sanscrit name, meaning "The Island of Bliss"... Is it the beaches? The isolation and quiet? Or the strange and crazy botanical allure?
Alien-looking plants: H. P. Lovecraft's secret inspiration?
Was the famous Chtulhu myths creator aware of these forbidding mountains with their hauntingly weird flora (think of plant mutations from his "The Color out of Space") ? We almost tempted to call Socotra the other "Mountains of Madness" - the trees and plants of this island were preserved thru the long geological isolation, some varieties being 20 million years old
Getting around can be a challenge, as there are almost no roads
Despite the fact that this island has around 40,000 inhabitants, the Yemeni government put in the first roads just 2 years ago - after negotiations with UNESCO, which has declared this island a World Natural Heritage Site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave in an otherwise troubled world. If you decide to visit there, you can forget about beachfront hotels and restaurants; this island is geared towards Eco-tourism and sustaining the local economy and way of life.
This island is a birder's paradise as well, with 140 different species of birds; 10 of which are not found anywhere else in the world. A unique Socotra warbler, sunbird, starling, bunting, sparrow and cisticola are among the ones found here. There are also Socotra Cormorants:
To give you a glimpse of Socotra's and Yemen 's in general totally unique architecture, check out this place located on the mainland:
Al Hajarah, Yemen - Walled city in the mist
Socotra is one of those "lost world" islands (separated from the world six million years ago) where intrepid travelers - particularly those seeking exotic nature and wildlife in a remote tropical setting - can go days on end without rubbing shoulders with that less -than-endangered species.tourists.
Known for decades as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean , it's the world's tenth richest island for endemic plant species. And the biggest island in the Middle East 125 kilometers in length and 45 kilometers across.
Meanwhile the landscape is one of contrasts, for example, it has isolated nature preserves with dazzling wildlife (including 900 species of plants, and the famous Dragon's Blood Tree "dracaena cinnabara" and the some of rarest birds that exist nowhere else in the world), and picturesque sandy beaches.
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