{"id":13512,"date":"2020-07-05T17:51:48","date_gmt":"2020-07-05T15:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/socotra-un-paraiso-olvidado-del-indico\/"},"modified":"2021-05-01T19:04:55","modified_gmt":"2021-05-01T17:04:55","slug":"socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/en\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"Socotra, a forgotten paradise of the Indian Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;0|0px|0|0px|false|false&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0|0px|34px|0px|false|false&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243;]The island of Socotra along with other small islands forms an archipelago in the Indian Ocean about 350 kilometers off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. With an area of \u200b\u200b130 kilometers long and 35 kilometers wide, Socotra belongs to Yemen, a country of immense cultural wealth, with deep traditions and great linguistic and artistic values \u200b\u200bwithin the Arab world.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13486\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_mapa-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_mapa-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_mapa-1-980x599.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_mapa-1-480x293.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ethiopians, Portuguese, British, Greeks or Arabs were attracted by the privileged position in the Strait of Aden, attracted by the fragrant resins of the trees of incense, myrrh or dragon tree. In the island also passed the apostle St. Thomas and the traveler Marco Polo.<\/p>\n<p>Ten million years ago, it separated from the horn of Africa and, since then, it is as if time had not passed. Due to this geological isolation it has a spectacular endemic flora with more than 300 plants that can not be found anywhere else on the globe. Today is one of the great sanctuaries of biodiversity declared in 2008 World Natural Heritage.<\/p>\n<p>Since you disembark at the small airport, after a trip of more than 2 hours from the mainland, you recognize that it has not been easy to arrive and you already perceive that this place is unique. In fact, until 1999, the only access was by sea.<\/p>\n<p>The largest population of the island is <strong>Hadibo<\/strong> with about 10,000 inhabitants. It is still a town without order, where people literally live a large part of their daily life on the street, along with their stalls, family and pets. Dirty and dusty streets are not pleasant to stroll but the fish market really worths a visit.<\/p>\n<p>Socotris are native from the Arabian Peninsula, India, or Somalia; about forty thousand people live on the island. They are dedicated to subsistence activities such as livestock, agriculture or fishing. They fish sharks, tuna and lobsters, grow dates and also keep herds of goats and cows.<\/p>\n<p>They speak Socotri, a language of Semitic roots prior to Islam with Indian and African influences. This makes it an absolutely incomprehensible language. Luck of the language of the eyes and the smile that always help.<\/p>\n<div class=\"et-fb-loader\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<div id=\"attachment_13483\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13483\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13483\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_escuela_hadibo-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_escuela_hadibo-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_escuela_hadibo-2-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_escuela_hadibo-2-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13483\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A school in Hadibo<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The best way to go around the island is by renting a 4X4. It has few paved roads, only one that runs through the island from east to west and one that goes deep into the heart of the island. You discover that it is much more than a trip; it is an adventure in time, to a place that does not seem to exist on our planet.<\/p>\n<p>But what makes Socotra unique is its vegetation, to become the 10th richest island in the world in plant diversity. Of its 850 plant species, 1\/3 are endemic, being vestiges of plants that existed in Africa thousands of years ago.<\/p>\n<p>The first place where you realize you are out of time is <strong>Homhil<\/strong>. Here I live a mixture of magic and incredibility with bumping into these millenary trees and a light that accompanies me during the day and the sunset that makes it a magical place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"et-fb-loader\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<div id=\"attachment_13477\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13477\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13477\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_atardecer_homhil-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_atardecer_homhil-3.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_atardecer_homhil-3-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_atardecer_homhil-3-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13477\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sunset in Homhill with the dragon blood trees<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Here I see for the first time the most representative trees of the island, known as the <strong>dragon blood tree,<\/strong> for its striking red sage. Its gigantic branches are characteristic of prehistoric trees having an average life of 300 years. Its red sage is used for medicinal purposes, to decorate native ceramics and to varnish the violins that improve its sound.<\/p>\n<p>Another of the typical plants of the island is the <strong>Rose of the desert<\/strong> of almost three meters of height of squat forms that can lodge in its interior hundreds of liters of water. It is a sympathetic trunk tree in the shape of a bottle also called elephant&#8217;s foot crowned by a tuft of branches and flowers of pink colors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"et-fb-loader\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<div id=\"attachment_13492\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13492\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13492\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_rosa_desierto_homhil-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_rosa_desierto_homhil-4.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_rosa_desierto_homhil-4-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_rosa_desierto_homhil-4-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13492\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Desert Rose tree<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The <strong>Euphorbia tree<\/strong> has a milky sage that is poisonous and can burn the skin. It is used to stun fish and thus fishing becomes easier.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>aloe<\/strong> that grows on the island is highly valued for its medicinal and cosmetic use.<\/p>\n<p>There is the <strong>cucumber tree<\/strong>, another endemic species with a thick body and small branches. They are a relic on the island where they have grown unalterable for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>incense tree<\/strong> closes the circle of large endemic species of Socotra. It has several uses as anti-inflammatory and incense. In fact, it is said that the Biblical incense was probably an extract of the resin of this tree. It had a great economic value in antiquity even paid more than gold.<\/p>\n<p>I leave Homhil by foot by the mountain in the direction of the coast with captivating views and thus know the fishing villages that live on the edge of the sea. A coast without villages, and the few that you find, the houses are built with walls of coral stone that turn their backs to the sea as if they did not want to see this turquoise wonder that surrounds them.<\/p>\n<p>They live in conditions of life more than rudimentary, when most of them do not have electricity, running water or any basic infrastructure. Of course, all its activities are governed by traditional norms of conservation of its ecosystem. They seek unanimity and approval of the elderly and fishing in nets is prohibited.<\/p>\n<p>A visit to the only museum on the island where through old photographs, utensils and textiles makes you understand how people lived when the island was disconnected from the world.<\/p>\n<p>Traditional Yemeni music is part of the home and the great ceremonies. At night I know the music that young people on the island have fun. They call it &#8220;Mawalid&#8221; where the lyrics of the songs refer to everyday life with a music that sounds very repetitive to me. As instruments they had drums made of goatskin and wood of the dragon tree that accompanied the music.<\/p>\n<p>Socotra has three types of terrain: narrow coastal plains where the waves of the sea beat against immaculately white beaches, a limestone plateau with karstic caves and the Haggier mountains where the peaks of 1,600 meters of altitude seem to reach the clouds.<\/p>\n<p>Caves that can be visited such as <strong>Hoq cave<\/strong>. Despite not being exploited the visit is done in flashlights and watch where you step on the slippery floor. Even cave paintings have been found.<\/p>\n<p>It is an island of many contrasts: from the caves to the huge <strong>dunes of Arher<\/strong> that over the years the sand has been accumulating along the road and already exceeding the hundred meters of height. When the afternoon falls, the texture of the sea of \u200b\u200bsand changes as the sun goes down. Here the splendor is combined with a game of lights and shadows that occur while the wind blows up tiny grains of sand. It is really an awesome show!!<\/p>\n<div class=\"et-fb-loader\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<div id=\"attachment_13480\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13480\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13480\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_dunas_arher-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_dunas_arher-5.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_dunas_arher-5-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_dunas_arher-5-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13480\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arher dunes<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>And at the end of the day the cook will delight me every night with a dinner of fresh meat or fish bought from the fishermen of the island.<\/p>\n<p>The island has a high and steep interior with amazing landscapes where the mountain reaches an absolutely deserted coast.<\/p>\n<p>Once you reach the <strong>mountains of Mumi<\/strong> you realize the nature so impressive and curious, exit from prehistory and magically preserved until now.<\/p>\n<p>And from a cave appears a character that all his life has lived in it. It is the hermit Shalafen that invites me to know his home. When you see him for the first time, he impresses me a lot all dirty and long beard, screams a lot when it talks but invites me to a tea. Live on goats and what people bring. He is very happy because it is where God has entrusted him in this magical place with views of the mountains. We talk about his life, the hell, of those who come from outside and we are lived in cities like prisons. A very interesting character that in the end wishes me good luck in the way of life. Goodbye Shalafen !!<\/p>\n<div class=\"et-fb-loader\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<div id=\"attachment_13495\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13495\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13495\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_shalafen-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_shalafen-6.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_shalafen-6-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_shalafen-6-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13495\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The hermit Shalafen preparing tea<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Touring the island I pass through many valleys or wadis, the name they call them. They are oases with small streams and large palm groves that leave swimming pools where they invite to bathe.<\/p>\n<p>I continue along these roads where nature never ceases to amaze me. Socotra remains a challenge, but also an increasingly attractive challenge for travelers committed to eco-tourism in remote places.<\/p>\n<p>And back to the coast in the <strong>dunes of Hayf<\/strong> where a slight breeze makes these grains of white sand slide over my tracks. I am just drunk by nature with a deep blue sky that accompanies me in this sea of dunes where the wind, as if it were a brush on a spatula, works patiently and modulating the sand. These dunes end up in the sea of turquoise waters and white sand.<\/p>\n<p>But for those of us who like to walk, sleep under the stars without great comforts and wake up in wild places, this is the trip. Sleeping in sheds on the beach, you do not need anything else. You sleep with the noise of the wind and the waves, watching the million stars that illuminate the island waking me the first lights of dawn where the sleeping bag still keeps the cobwebs of sleep warm. A new day is just beginning. I have felt privileged!<\/p>\n<div class=\"et-fb-loader\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<div id=\"attachment_13474\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13474\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13474\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra-7.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra-7-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra-7-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13474\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">At night I slept in sheds in front of the beach accompanied by millions of stars<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Return to the interior of the island, to the <strong>wadi Derhur<\/strong> where the views of the canyon are impressive with cliffs that take your breath away. Grouped in huge formations that draw the profile of the mountains, I enter the <strong>Fermhin forest<\/strong>, known for the millions of dragon trees they encounter. Some of them are 500 years old.<\/p>\n<div class=\"et-fb-loader\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<div id=\"attachment_13498\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13498\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13498\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_wadi_derhur-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_wadi_derhur-8.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_wadi_derhur-8-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_wadi_derhur-8-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13498\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wadi Derhur overlooking the canyon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The downhill path makes me tremble, luckily, once below, a natural pool of transparent water awaits me, which, together with the silence that is breathed and the warmth that it gives off, invites you to a swim.<\/p>\n<p>The north coast is an extensive coastline of more than 70 kilometers of virgin beaches of white sands and translucent water untouched. At the western end of this coast is <strong>Qalansiya<\/strong>, the second largest town on the island. A stroll through the streets of this coastal town makes you get closer to the children who come screaming from their houses ready to take photos. All the places I stepped on I was very well received by the open, friendly and curious people always enjoying a few meals of fresh fish of the day.<\/p>\n<p>But this place is known because it has the most beautiful beaches on the island. <strong>Detwa<\/strong> is an extensive tongue of white sand that sinks at times into the turquoise blue of the water. A sea where the waves almost rock you and the only sound is the seagulls fly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"et-fb-loader\" style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<div id=\"attachment_13489\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13489\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13489\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_qalansiya_playa_detwa-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_qalansiya_playa_detwa-9.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_qalansiya_playa_detwa-9-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_qalansiya_playa_detwa-9-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13489\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Detwa beach<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>And as a farewell trip the huge and pristine <strong>beach of Shoab<\/strong> with turquoise and crystal waters where another hermit opens me the doors of his cabin.<\/p>\n<p>Socotra is a place as emerged from a dream. There is something ancestral and prehistoric that makes it magical, although in the end everything obeys the simplest laws of nature, to the force of an eternal isolation that has penetrated in a fauna and flora as they are not known anywhere else in the world planet, free from the pressure and voracity of grazing animals, but also of man.<\/p>\n<p>There are paradises that are not made for human life because they are perfect for vegetable or animal development, maybe Socotra is one of them.<\/p>\n<p>The island is one of the most beautiful that I could imagine. It is not easy to arrive, but it is one of the most interesting exotic trips I have done, approaching a primitive, powerful and absolutely different land. Socotra is a prodigy of nature that aims to continue shielded from the impact of development. May it continue forever.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/en\/project\/socotra\/&#8221; button_text=&#8221;See pictures&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.16&#8243; button_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221;]&nbsp;<br \/>\n[\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The island of Socotra along with other small islands forms an archipelago in the Indian Ocean about 350 kilometers off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. With an area of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<p>La isla de Socotra junto con otras peque\u00f1as islas, conforma un archipi\u00e9lago en el oc\u00e9ano \u00cdndico a unos 350 kil\u00f3metros de la costa de la pen\u00ednsula Ar\u00e1biga. Con una extensi\u00f3n de 130 kil\u00f3metros de largo por 35 kil\u00f3metros de ancho, Socotra pertenece al Yemen, un pa\u00eds de una inmensa riqueza cultural, con profund\u00edsimas tradiciones y grandes valores ling\u00fc\u00edsticos y art\u00edsticos dentro del mundo \u00e1rabe.<\/p><p><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13488\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_mapa-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"733\" \/><\/p><p>Por su privilegiada posici\u00f3n en el estrecho de Aden pasaron et\u00edopes, portugueses, brit\u00e1nicos, griegos o \u00e1rabes del sur atra\u00eddos por las resinas olorosas de los \u00e1rboles del incienso, de la mirra o del drago. Para la isla tambi\u00e9n pasaron el ap\u00f3stol Santo Tomas y el viajero Marco Polo.<\/p><p>Hace 10 millones de a\u00f1os se separ\u00f3 del cuerno de \u00c1frica y, desde entonces, es como si el tiempo no hubiera pasado. Debido este aislamiento geol\u00f3gico tiene una espectacular flora end\u00e9mica con m\u00e1s de 300 plantas que no se encuentran en ning\u00fan otro lugar del globo. Hoy es uno de los grandes santuarios de la biodiversidad declarada en 2008 Patrimonio Mundial Natural.<\/p><p>Desde que bajas en el peque\u00f1o aeropuerto, despu\u00e9s de un viaje de m\u00e1s de 2 horas desde el continente, reconoces que no ha sido f\u00e1cil llegar y ya percibes que este sitio es \u00fanico. De hecho hasta 1999 el \u00fanico acceso era por mar.<\/p><p>La poblaci\u00f3n m\u00e1s grande de la isla es <strong>Hadibo<\/strong> con unos 10.000 habitantes. No deja de ser un pueblo sin orden, donde la gente vive literalmente gran parte de su vida cotidiana en la calle, junto a sus puestos de venta, familia y animales dom\u00e9sticos. Calles sucias y polvorientas no da gusto pasear sino fuera por el mercado del pescado, el \u00fanico atractivo de Hadibo.<\/p><p>Los socotris son originarios de la pen\u00ednsula ar\u00e1biga, India, o Somal\u00eda, viven unas cuarenta mil personas en toda la isla. Se dedican a actividades de subsistencia como la ganader\u00eda, agricultura o la pesca. Pescan tiburones, atunes y langostas, cultivan d\u00e1tiles y ahora tambi\u00e9n mantienen reba\u00f1os de cabras y vacas.<\/p><p>Hablan socotri, una lengua de ra\u00edz sem\u00edtica anterior al islamismo con influencias indias y africanas. Esto la hace una lengua absolutamente incomprensible. Suerte del idioma de los ojos y la sonrisa que siempre ayudan.<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_13483\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-13485\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_escuela_hadibo-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" \/> Una escuela en Hadibo[\/caption]<p>La mejor manera de conocer la isla es alquilando un 4X4. Tiene pocas carreteras asfaltadas s\u00f3lo una que recorre la isla de este a oeste y una que se interna hasta las alturas del coraz\u00f3n de la isla. Vas descubriendo que es mucho m\u00e1s que un viaje, es una aventura en el tiempo, a un lugar que parece no existir en nuestro planeta.<\/p><p>Pero lo que hace que Socotra sea \u00fanica es su vegetaci\u00f3n, que la convierte en la 10\u00aa isla m\u00e1s rica del mundo en diversidad vegetal. De sus 850 especies vegetales 1\/3 son end\u00e9micas siendo vestigios de plantas que existieron en \u00c1frica hace miles de a\u00f1os.<\/p><p>El primer lugar donde te das cuenta que est\u00e1s fuera del tiempo, es <strong>Homhil.<\/strong> Aqu\u00ed vivo una mezcla de magia y incredibilidad con toparme con estos \u00e1rboles milenarios y una luz que me acompa\u00f1a durante el d\u00eda y el atardecer que lo hace un lugar m\u00e1gico.<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_13477\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-13479\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_atardecer_homhil-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" \/> Atardecer en Homhil con los arboles de sangre de drag\u00f3n[\/caption]<p>Aqu\u00ed veo por primera vez los \u00e1rboles m\u00e1s representativos de la isla, conocido como el <strong>\u00e1rbol de sangre de drag\u00f3n,<\/strong> por su llamativa sabia de color rojo. Sus gigantescas ramas son caracter\u00edsticas de los \u00e1rboles prehist\u00f3ricos teniendo un promedio de vida de 300 a\u00f1os. Su sabia roja es usada para fines medicinales, para decorar la cer\u00e1mica nativa y para barniz de los violines que mejora su sonido.<\/p><p>Otra de las plantas t\u00edpicas de la isla es la <strong>Rosa del desierto<\/strong> de casi tres metros de altura de formas achaparradas que puede albergar en su interior cientos de litros de agua. Es un \u00e1rbol simp\u00e1tico de tronco en forma de botella tambi\u00e9n llamado de pata de elefante coronado por un penacho de ramas y flores de colores ros\u00e1ceos.<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_13492\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-13494\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_rosa_desierto_homhil-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" \/> \u00c1rbol de la Rosa del Desierto[\/caption]<p>El <strong>\u00e1rbol Euphorbia<\/strong> tiene una sabia lechosa que es venenosa y puede quemar la piel. Se utiliza para atontar a los peces y asi la pesca resulta m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil.<\/p><p>El <strong>aloe <\/strong>que crece en la isla es muy apreciada por sus cualidades como uso medicinal y cosm\u00e9tico.<\/p><p>Hay el <strong>\u00e1rbol del pepino<\/strong> otra especie end\u00e9mica de cuerpo grueso y ramas peque\u00f1as. Son una reliquia en la isla donde han crecido de forma inalterable desde hace cientos de a\u00f1os.<\/p><p>El <strong>\u00e1rbol del incienso<\/strong> cierra el c\u00edrculo de grandes especies end\u00e9micas de Socotra. Tiene varios usos como antiinflamatorio e incienso. De hecho, se dice que el incienso B\u00edblico fue probablemente un extracto de la resina de este \u00e1rbol. Tuvo un gran valor econ\u00f3mico en la antig\u00fcedad incluso se pagaba m\u00e1s que el oro.<\/p><p>Salgo a pie de Homhil por la monta\u00f1a en direcci\u00f3n a la costa con unas vistas cautivadoras y as\u00ed conocer los pueblos de pescadores que viven al borde del mar. Una costa sin pueblos, y los pocos que encuentras, las casas est\u00e1n construidas con muros de piedra de coral que dan la espalda al mar como si no quisieran ver esta maravilla turquesa que les rodea.<\/p><p>Viven en condiciones de vida m\u00e1s que rudimentarias, cuando a\u00fan la mayor\u00eda de ellos no dispone de electricidad, agua corriente ni ninguna infraestructura b\u00e1sica. Eso s\u00ed, todas sus actividades est\u00e1n regidas por unas normas tradicionales de conservaci\u00f3n de su ecosistema. Buscan unanimidad y la aprobaci\u00f3n de los m\u00e1s ancianos y la pesca en redes est\u00e1 prohibida.<\/p><p>Una visita al \u00fanico museo de la isla donde a trav\u00e9s de fotograf\u00edas antiguas, utensilios y textil te hace comprender c\u00f3mo viv\u00eda la gente cuando la isla estaba desconectada del mundo.<\/p><p>La m\u00fasica tradicional yemen\u00ed forma parte del hogar y de las grandes ceremonias. Por la noche conozco la m\u00fasica que se divierten los j\u00f3venes de la isla. La llaman \"Mawalid\" donde la letra de las canciones hace referencia a la vida cotidiana con una m\u00fasica que a mi me suena muy repetitiva y pesada. Como instrumentos ten\u00edan unos tambores hechos de piel de cabra y madera del \u00e1rbol del drag\u00f3n que acompa\u00f1aban a la m\u00fasica.<\/p><p>Socotra tiene tres tipos de terrenos: estrechas llanuras costeras donde las olas del mar baten contra playas inmaculadamente blancas, una meseta de piedra caliza con cuevas k\u00e1rsticas y las monta\u00f1as Haggier donde los picos de 1.600 metros de altitud parecen llegar hasta las nubes.<\/p><p>Cuevas que son visitables como la <strong>Cueva Hoq<\/strong>. Pese a no estar explotada la visita se hace en linternas y vigilar por donde pisas por el suelo resbaladizo. Incluso se han encontrado escrituras rupestres.<\/p><p>Es una isla de muchos contrastes: de las cuevas a las enormes <strong>dunas de Arher<\/strong> que con el paso de los a\u00f1os la arena se ha ido acumulando junto a la carretera y ya superando el centenar de metros de altura. Cuando cae la tarde, la textura del mar de arena va cambiando a medida que el sol baja. Aqu\u00ed el esplendor se conjuga con un juego de luces y sombras que se suceden mientras el viento sopla levantando min\u00fasculos granos de arena. Es realmente un espect\u00e1culo impresionante !!.<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_13480\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-13482\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_dunas_arher-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" \/> Dunas de Arher[\/caption]<p>Y como final del d\u00eda el cocinero me deleitaba cada noche con una cena de carne o pescado fresco comprado a los pescadores de la isla.<\/p><p>La isla tiene un interior alto y abrupto con unos paisajes sorprendentes donde la monta\u00f1a llega a una costa absolutamente desierta.<\/p><p>Una vez llegas a las <strong>monta\u00f1as de Mumi<\/strong> te das cuenta de la naturaleza tan impresionante y curiosa, salida de la prehistoria y m\u00e1gicamente preservada hasta ahora.<\/p><p>Y de una cueva aparece un personaje que toda su vida ha vivido en ella. Es el ermita\u00f1o Shalafen que me invita a conocer su hogar. Cuando lo ves por primera vez impresiona todo sucio y en barba, grita mucho cuando habla pero me invita a un t\u00e9. Vive de las cabras y de lo que le lleva a la gente. Se encuentra muy feliz ya que es donde Dios lo ha encomendado en este lugar m\u00e1gico para \u00e9l con vistas a las monta\u00f1as. Hablamos de su vida, del infierno, de los que venimos de fuera y estamos encerrados en ciudades como c\u00e1rceles. Un personaje muy interesante que al final me desea mucha suerte en el camino de la vida. Adi\u00f3s Shalafen !!.<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_13495\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-13497\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_shalafen-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" \/> El ermita\u00f1o Shalafen preparando el t\u00e9[\/caption]<p>Recorriendo la isla paso por muchos valles o wadis, el nombre que le llaman ellos. Son oasis con peque\u00f1os riachuelos y grandes palmerales que dejan piscinas donde invita a ba\u00f1arse.<\/p><p>Sigo por estos caminos donde la naturaleza no deja de sorprenderme. Socotra sigue siendo un desaf\u00edo, pero tambi\u00e9n un reto cada vez m\u00e1s atractivo para viajeros comprometidos con el eco-turismo en lugares remotos.<\/p><p>Y de nuevo a la costa en las <strong>dunas de Hayf<\/strong> donde una ligera brisa hace resbalar estos granos de arena de color blanquecino sobre mis huellas. Me quedo solo embriagado por la naturaleza con un cielo de un azul profundo, que me acompa\u00f1a en este mar de dunas donde el viento, como si fuera un pincel sobre una esp\u00e1tula, trabaja paciente y modulando la arena. Estas dunas van a parar al mar de aguas turquesas y arena blanca.<\/p><p>Pero para los que nos gusta caminar, dormir bajo las estrellas sin grandes comodidades y despertar en lugares casi salvajes, este es el viaje. Durmiendo en cobertizos en la playa, no necesitas nada m\u00e1s. Te duermes con el ruido del viento y las olas, observando el mill\u00f3n de estrellas que iluminan la isla despert\u00e1ndome las primeras luces del amanecer donde el saco de dormir a\u00fan conserva tibias las telara\u00f1as del sue\u00f1o. Apenas comienza un nuevo d\u00eda. Me he sentido un privilegiado!!.<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_13474\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-13476\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" \/> Por las noches dorm\u00eda en cobertizos delante la playa con los millones de estrellas que me acompa\u00f1aban[\/caption]<p>Regreso al interior de la isla, al <strong>wadi Derhur<\/strong> donde las vistas del ca\u00f1\u00f3n son impresionantes con unos acantilados que te quitan el aliento. Agrupados en enormes formaciones que dibujan el perfil de las monta\u00f1as, entro en el <strong>bosque Fermhin<\/strong>, conocido por los millones de \u00e1rboles de drag\u00f3n que encuentran. Algunos de ellos tienen 500 a\u00f1os de antig\u00fcedad.<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_13498\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-13500\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_wadi_derhur-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" \/> Wadi Derhur con vistas al ca\u00f1\u00f3n[\/caption]<p>El camino de bajada me hace temblar, suerte que una vez abajo me espera una piscina natural de un agua transparente que junto con el silencio que se respira y el calor que desprende, invita a un ba\u00f1o.<\/p><p>La costa norte es un extenso litoral de m\u00e1s de 70 kil\u00f3metros de playas v\u00edrgenes de arenas blancas y el agua transl\u00facida impoluta. En el extremo oeste de esta costa esta <strong>Qalansiya<\/strong>, la segunda poblaci\u00f3n de la isla. Un paseo por las calles de esta poblaci\u00f3n costera te hace acercarte m\u00e1s con los ni\u00f1os que salen gritando de sus casas a punto para que les hagas fotos. Todas los lugares que pisaba era muy bien recibido por la gente abierta, amable y curiosa con el extranjero disfrutando siempre de unas comidas de pescado fresco del d\u00eda.<\/p><p>Pero este lugar es conocido porque tiene las playas m\u00e1s bonitas de la isla. <strong>Detwa<\/strong> es una extensa lengua de arena blanca que se hunde por momentos en el azul turquesa del agua. Un mar donde las olas casi te mecen y el \u00fanico sonido son las gaviotas volar.<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_13489\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-13491\" src=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_qalansiya_playa_detwa-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" \/> Playa de Detwa[\/caption]<p>Y ya como despedida del viaje la enorme y pr\u00edstina <strong>playa de Shoab<\/strong> de aguas turquesas y cristalinas donde otro ermita\u00f1o me abre las puertas de su caba\u00f1a.<\/p><p>Socotra es un lugar como surgido de un sue\u00f1o. Hay algo ancestral y prehist\u00f3rico que la hace m\u00e1gica, aunque en el fondo todo obedezca a las m\u00e1s simples leyes de la naturaleza, a la fuerza de un eterno aislamiento que ha calado en una fauna y una flora como no se conocen en ning\u00fan otro lugar del planeta, libres de la presi\u00f3n y la voracidad de los animales de pastoreo, pero tambi\u00e9n del hombre.<\/p><p>Hay para\u00edsos que no est\u00e1n hechos para la vida humana porque son perfectos para el desarrollo vegetal o animal, quiz\u00e1s Socotra sea uno de ellos.<\/p><p>La isla es una de las m\u00e1s bonitas que me haya podido imaginar. No es f\u00e1cil llegar, pero es uno de los viajes ex\u00f3ticos m\u00e1s interesantes que he podido hacer, acerc\u00e1ndome a una tierra primitiva, potente y absolutamente diferente. Socotra es un prodigio de la naturaleza que pretende seguir blindado al impacto del desarrollo. Que as\u00ed siga para siempre.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-memories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Socotra, a forgotten paradise of the Indian Ocean - Jordi Llorens<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/en\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Socotra, a forgotten paradise of the Indian Ocean - Jordi Llorens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/en\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jordi Llorens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-07-05T15:51:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-05-01T17:04:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/jordillorens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_homhil-10.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"799\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jordi Llorens\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jordi Llorens\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/en\\\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/en\\\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jordi Llorens\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d6e9f5ce2f0be36051b5b07a930e2a2d\"},\"headline\":\"Socotra, a forgotten paradise of the Indian Ocean\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-07-05T15:51:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-05-01T17:04:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/en\\\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2292,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d6e9f5ce2f0be36051b5b07a930e2a2d\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/en\\\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/10\\\/jordillorens_bloc_socotra_homhil-10.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Travel memories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/en\\\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/en\\\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jordillorens.com\\\/en\\\/socotra-a-forgotten-paradise-of-the-indian-ocean\\\/\",\"name\":\"Socotra, a forgotten paradise of the Indian Ocean - 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