The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth

<div class="copy-paste-block"> <h3> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Socotra Island: you have to see it to believe it</span></h3> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> We covered some otherwordly places before (see, for example, <a href="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2006/11/fantastic-landscapes-of-bolivian-salt_27.html">The Bolivian Salt Lake</a>, or <a href="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/09/richat-structure-eye-of-earth_12.html">The Richat Structure</a>), but this island simply blows away any notion about what is considered "normal" for a landscape on Earth.</span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><img height="293" src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7Mfgd_QI/AAAAAAAAc-0/lmZ8RRKpw88/s640/3656tertwettry.jpg" style="margin: 10px auto 0px;" width="400" /></span></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(images credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345375849/">Jan Vandorpe</a>, <a href="http://www.socotra.ru/">socotra</a>)</span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Imagine waking up on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socotra">Socotra Island</a> and taking a good look around you (let's say your buddies pulled a prank on you and delivered you there, and lets also assume that you don't have any hangover from abuse of any substances). 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. </span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> 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. <b>found nowhere else on Earth</b>. </span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><img height="400" src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7M1qQGxI/AAAAAAAAc_A/20BavK5VS-k/s1600/35635tyrdgttrhgf.jpg" style="margin: 10px auto 0px;" width="316" /></span></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(images credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26505028@N08/2600538277/">dianadrz</a>, Irina Travina)</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span><br /> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7NTDFjRI/AAAAAAAAc_Y/zVPQqnKl3Io/s1600-h/356eyrgdfhgfhjyu.jpg"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7NTDFjRI/AAAAAAAAc_Y/zVPQqnKl3Io/s720/356eyrgdfhgfhjyu.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" /></a></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.socotra.ru/">socotra</a>)</span></span><br /> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">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. </span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.marcopavan.com/"><img height="428" src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/abramsv/SL7kOrxYN5I/AAAAAAAAcwY/A1rGb7nPc98/s640/458656486_7c5a02f4c7_o.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.marcopavan.com/">Marco Pavan</a>)</span><br /></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">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?</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Alien-looking plants: H. P. Lovecraft's secret inspiration?</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> 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 <b>20 million years old</b>... </span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> We begin with the dracena cinnibaris or <b>Dragon's Blood Tree</b>, the source of valuable resin for varnishes, dyes, and "cure-all" medicine; also (predictably) used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy -<br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.panoramio.com/user/250020"><br /> <img height="243" src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA9E6xm2GI/AAAAAAAAdA8/gf7ZXMc5rGg/s640/345654ythjg.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.panoramio.com/user/250020">Christian Besnier</a>)</span></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> The branches spread out into the sky and from below appear to hover over the landscape like so many flying saucers... and from above they have a distinct mushroom look:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345375849/"><br /> <img height="439" src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA9FY-BlaI/AAAAAAAAdBI/lKxE1jXZ5NY/s640/356ytrhgfjghkj.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345375849/">Jan Vandorpe</a>)</span></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26505028@N08/2600518983/"><br /> <img height="418" src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA9F4sagXI/AAAAAAAAdBY/3KNisefQdc0/s640/3546546tertgfhhgj.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SL7vh4KKcjI/AAAAAAAAcyA/BBpz-iSArzA/s720/2600518983_2062ec9204_o.jpg">dianadrz</a>)</span></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) which looks like nothing so much as a blooming elephant leg:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345384080/"><img height="480" src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA-Mm_XSpI/AAAAAAAAdBk/cCIXLBiGZ-w/s640/35654ytfhg.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(images credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/">Jan Vandorpe</a>)</span></span></div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> </div> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7O6tIIXI/AAAAAAAAdAI/LsYAcr6vwZY/s1600-h/35654ythfgjmhk.jpg"><img height="428" src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7O6tIIXI/AAAAAAAAdAI/LsYAcr6vwZY/s640/35654ythfgjmhk.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.socotra.ru/">Denis Romanov</a>)</span><br /></span><br /> <div class="copy-paste-block"> </div> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <div class="copy-paste-block"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Dorstenia gigas</i> - apparently does not require any soil and sinks roots straight into the bare rock:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/346583075/"><img height="304" src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7PtTWtrI/AAAAAAAAdAg/xRu2oa-yLwM/s640/345654ytrhfhyj.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345384093/"><br /> <img src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7KVdEFVI/AAAAAAAAc-E/yjTNvwvFMM0/s1600/345654ygdf.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(images credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/">Jan Vandorpe</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> It also has a distinct personality and likes to smile for the camera:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMBAok1tqkI/AAAAAAAAdCY/xPAacgn6F1I/s1600-h/preview.jpg"><img height="640" src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMBAok1tqkI/AAAAAAAAdCY/xPAacgn6F1I/s640/preview.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="425" /></a></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://invision-images.com/archive/stories/socotra/INV-500-841/view">Tomas van Houtryve</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> Somewhat similar to the weird <i>Dorstenia gigas</i>, is this <i>"bucha"</i> vegetable, found as far north as Croatia. I hope it's not pregnant with anything malignant inside this sack. John Wyndham (with his "The Day of the Triffids") would've loved it:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SLz7LMg5oeI/AAAAAAAAcmo/uzIxKMnWYqs/s1600-h/xxxxxx.jpg"><br /> <img height="640" src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SLz7LMg5oeI/AAAAAAAAcmo/uzIxKMnWYqs/s640/xxxxxx.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="441" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.xddx-damirdizajn.com/">Damir</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> Also found in Socotra's landscape is the ever-strange and extremely rare <b>Cucumber Tree</b> (dendrosicyos socotranum) - and yes, it's related to what's sitting in a pickle jar in your fridge:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345375846/"><br /> <img height="480" src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SL7zmzCgJqI/AAAAAAAAczE/FQHkPWkBUt0/s640/image.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345375846/">Jan Vandorpe</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Getting around can be a challenge, as there are almost no roads</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> Despite the fact that this island has around 40,000 inhabitants, the Yemeni govenment <i>put in the first roads just 2 years ago</i> - after negotiations with UNESCO, which has declared this island a World Natural Heritage Site. I would prefer a camel ride to what is bound to be a bumpy and slow 4x4 ride... 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.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7ONVozaI/AAAAAAAAc_w/EXxH23JcfGI/s1600-h/35654ytghgfhgf.jpg"><img height="441" src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7ONVozaI/AAAAAAAAc_w/EXxH23JcfGI/s640/35654ytghgfhgf.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(images credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25525434@N05/2406000076/">Adele Obice</a>, <a href="http://www.marcopavan.com/">Marco Pavan</a>, <a href="http://www.socotra.ru/">Denis Romanov</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7N1fiS5I/AAAAAAAAc_k/M4vnLM2QXv8/s1600-h/34654eydfghbfg.jpg"><br /> <img height="400" src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7N1fiS5I/AAAAAAAAc_k/M4vnLM2QXv8/s640/34654eydfghbfg.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> 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:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7OZ06rXI/AAAAAAAAc_8/0hBqhpYwD7k/s1600-h/345654tyergtertg.jpg"><br /> <img height="331" src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7OZ06rXI/AAAAAAAAc_8/0hBqhpYwD7k/s640/345654tyergtertg.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(images credit: <a href="http://www.magellanyemen.com/en/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16">Magellan Tours</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rafeek_manchayil/2424066808/">Rafeek Manchayil</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> Want to see some fairy-tale (and possibly haunted) shipwrecks? There are diving tours available... Hopefully some IMAX crew would film it in all its glory one day.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7NPqjPmI/AAAAAAAAc_M/H0z1aFE-Ffw/s1600-h/35645yhdfgdf.jpg"><br /> <img height="234" src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7NPqjPmI/AAAAAAAAc_M/H0z1aFE-Ffw/s640/35645yhdfgdf.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.socotra.ru/">socotra</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> To give you a glimpse of Socotra's and Yemen's in general totally unique architecture, check out this place located on the mainland:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Al Hajarah, Yemen - Walled city in the mist</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> Computer game designers take note - this mysterious city in the foggy Yemen's Haraz Mountains can surely fire up imagination of anybody who decides to explore it:</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345345865/"><br /> <img src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7Lbc2oUI/AAAAAAAAc-c/zFuQFxzAaRA/s720/34y67e5rgdfgs.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22334898@N00/345345865/">Jan Vandorpe</a>)</span><br /><a href="http://www.panoramio.com/photo/2001072"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7Kir01SI/AAAAAAAAc-Q/kJ8U3lK54HQ/s720/3546e5rydgsd.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" /></a></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.panoramio.com/photo/2001072">Bellosta</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95829740@N00/2259674645/"><br /> <img src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7L-2wjUI/AAAAAAAAc-o/sF8DhKekcYE/s720/3456e5gsdgfdf.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95829740@N00/2259674645/">Michaela Diener</a>)</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> Dune? Clark Ashton Smith's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zothique">Zothique</a>? Pack your bags, for this is on our good old planet Earth, no interstellar visa required.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7PIUWZGI/AAAAAAAAdAU/elZyq9AX59U/s1600-h/36754yerhgjkuk.jpg"><br /> <img height="365" src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/abramsv/SMA7PIUWZGI/AAAAAAAAdAU/elZyq9AX59U/s640/36754yerhgjkuk.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px;" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image credit: <a href="http://www.socotra.ru/">Socotra</a>)</span><br /></span></div> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> SOURCE : <a href="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html">http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html</a></span></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth

Socotra Island: you have to see it to believe it We covered some otherwordly places before (see, for example, The Bolivian Salt Lake , o...

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