Today we are going to a place I've never heard of before...in Yemen! In fact, we are going to an island called Suqatra Island. Strange but beautiful place!
Suqatra Island
This enchanting and little known island also known as Socotra is located off the coast of Yemen in the Middle East. Isolated from the rest of the world its plants have evolved into many bizarre shapes and forms that are unknown in other parts of the world. One of the most famous of these is the Dragon's Blood Tree the sap of which is used to make crystals that can be used as a dye or as an alleged aphrodisiac. The plant depicted above is the strange Desert Rose (Adenium obesium) but sometimes more popularly called the Elephants Leg Tree. The Island is slowly becoming known to the world and has great potential for eco-tourism as long as the visitors don't do more damage than good. Other species include the Cucumber Tree and the Socotran Fig. Suqatra was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2008
None of us will ever have the time or opportunity to visit all of these marvelous places, but thanks to the power of the Internet, not only can we visit them at our leisure but we can do so from the comfort of our own home! Once in a great while, technology is a real boon to us!
Coffee on the patio this morning. It's supposed to be sunny with a high in the 70's! Some Winter, huh?
