expedition soqotra
Millions of years ago, Socotra broke off from the African continent and drifted away into the Indian Ocean. Over the years, the plant and animal species trapped on Socotra have evolved somewhat differently from their nephews on the mainland, providing Socotra today with an extraordinary wealth of ‘endemic’ fauna and flora, stuff you don’t find anywhere else. Socotra is the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, with the umbrella-shaped Dragon Blood Tree as its emblem endemic species.
We start our Yemen bike trip with a loop around Socotra – a little more relaxed than the mainland we thought, religiously, politically and geographically. Our only reference Heinz Stücke describes biking on Socotra as “pure bliss”… After all this is Candida’s first bike trip ever, with luggage and everything.
The bikes fresh out of the suitcase for a first ride (without luggage) along the giant sand dunes east of Hadibo. Perfect to check out Friday mobility on different terrain...
Off we go. Biking along Socotra's north shore, indeed turns out to be pure bliss - just a little harder to negiotiate when the asphalt stops and turns into road work. First encounters with Pakistani road engineers, with Socotra's endemic plants, and and with the local fishermen - we camp on the beach, our plastic igloo not too far from their stone domes (below left).
A rewarding sunset, at the westernmost point of the island, on the stretch of paradise called Ditwah. Apart from a couple of crabs (evening) and some vultures (morning), we have the whole bay all to ourselves... unforgettable unphotographable.
Soon we find out that a biking a perfect loop on Socotra will not be possible, due to a simple lack of roads, paved or unpaved. From western cape Ditwah we need to backtrack a bit to cross Socotra down the middle, from the Arabian Sea coast in the north, over the Dixam plateau down to the southern plains and the Indian Ocean.
Candida does absolutely great on the first long switchback ascent of her biking career. Feels cooler up on evercloudy Dixam - layers of unclassifiable fairy tale landscapes slide past one another, dotted with gnarly trees, desert rose, black lava rocks. Some highlandscapes remind me of Scotland, and Candida of Dr Seuss.
In search of a tourist poster crater pool we don't manage to find, we end up at the southern rim of the central highlands at dusk, and decide to continue for a last stretch (on gravel) down to the Indian Ocean. Finally we reach the shore, quite exhausted, only with the help of a couple of local buddies, well into the night. The moon is strong though, and casts eerie shadows - we don't need a flashlight to pitch the tent. Coast to coast in one long day...
Above, Candida cruising on Socotra's southern plains. In fishing town Steroh we're offered a chunk of fresh lamb meat (in a plastic bag) for the holiday of Eid and a ride from a generous family man (below).
An epic return trip back to the north is what seperates us from starting point Hadibo - one of those expeditions you would never start if you had any idea what lays ahead... Formerly the 'easiest' way to cross the island, now this eastern track has fallen into disrepair as the Dixam asphalt road is underway. Slowly we climb back up to the higher plateaus, following a dry riverbed upstream, walking pushing our bikes. We pass a few small settlements on our hike - one of the towns smells entirely like incense (once big business on Socotra), another one takes us in for the night. Village doctor Ali speaks a little English and offers a nutricious meal of goat and dates, plus his giant guest room (bigger than the entire family home) to the two strangers. On the picture below, the guest room is the building behind our bikes.
And then finally back in Hadibo, surprizingly well in time. By now we have risen to the status of local celebrities, as we've been spotted on all sides of the island, mainly pushing our bikes... Very glad we composed some sort of loop though, as it took us to unexpected and rarely visited corners of the island. Hard to imagine that one week ago here in Hadibo, Candi made her first attempts pedalling with luggage...
Walking around the puddles in small and rusty Hadibo doesn't necessarily reveal that Socotra is on a lot of official agendas these days. Just as it's not immediately clear what the Portuguese and the Dutch were looking for on Socotra, centuries ago, nor what they left.
Today Hadibo is bustling with ecologists – the only strip of asphalt in town has more eco organizations than restaurants. A lot of them Belgians as a matter of fact (Kurt from Wevelgem had just left as we arrived). They devote their energy and holidays trying to preserve Socotra’s exceptional natural resources - an ecological momentum that has resulted in the establisment of several national parks, a minimum of awareness among locals and tourists, and an upcoming declaration of Socotra as UN World Natural Heritage.
As soon as we took our Bike Fridays out of their suitcases, we were bombarded 'ecotourists' by the ecoboys, in fact getting around on a smaller footprint than their 4by4s.
At the same time – on direct orders from the Yemeni president – Socotra is trying to catch up with the rest of the world. Ten years ago, there was no asphalt to be found on Socotra. Now, paved roads fan out from the capital, approximately 50 kilometers in each direction. And a lot more is under construction – the Pakistani road engineers we met on the way to Qalansiya assure that in a couple of years, an asphalt loop around Socotra will be in place.
The impact of fast paced modern progress on Socotra is already visible. The majority of the northern coastline has been blocked off from inland ecosystems by asphalt. And roads are more than strips of asphalt – they bring in plastics, tourists, islam schools, World Bank projects and construction, and take out the rural youth to Hadibo, and beyond. The human footprint on the island has enlarged dramatically over the last decade, putting the Dragon Blood Tree forest, one of the oldest surviving ecosystems in the world, at the verge of extinction in an estimated 80 years.
On the other hand, no one will contest the improvements for the Socotris, as famine (the last one in 1994!) belongs to the past.
Engineers build, and smile.
Ecologist frown. The best of them, according to Kay from Gent, have already left, tired of frowning.
And Socotra... is at a turning point, changing rapidly. Go see it - pure endemic bliss - as long as it lasts, or wait for easier biking as soon as the asphalt loop is ready. Keep us posted.
We start our Yemen bike trip with a loop around Socotra – a little more relaxed than the mainland we thought, religiously, politically and geographically. Our only reference Heinz Stücke describes biking on Socotra as “pure bliss”… After all this is Candida’s first bike trip ever, with luggage and everything.
The bikes fresh out of the suitcase for a first ride (without luggage) along the giant sand dunes east of Hadibo. Perfect to check out Friday mobility on different terrain...
Off we go. Biking along Socotra's north shore, indeed turns out to be pure bliss - just a little harder to negiotiate when the asphalt stops and turns into road work. First encounters with Pakistani road engineers, with Socotra's endemic plants, and and with the local fishermen - we camp on the beach, our plastic igloo not too far from their stone domes (below left).
A rewarding sunset, at the westernmost point of the island, on the stretch of paradise called Ditwah. Apart from a couple of crabs (evening) and some vultures (morning), we have the whole bay all to ourselves... unforgettable unphotographable.
Soon we find out that a biking a perfect loop on Socotra will not be possible, due to a simple lack of roads, paved or unpaved. From western cape Ditwah we need to backtrack a bit to cross Socotra down the middle, from the Arabian Sea coast in the north, over the Dixam plateau down to the southern plains and the Indian Ocean.
Candida does absolutely great on the first long switchback ascent of her biking career. Feels cooler up on evercloudy Dixam - layers of unclassifiable fairy tale landscapes slide past one another, dotted with gnarly trees, desert rose, black lava rocks. Some highlandscapes remind me of Scotland, and Candida of Dr Seuss.
In search of a tourist poster crater pool we don't manage to find, we end up at the southern rim of the central highlands at dusk, and decide to continue for a last stretch (on gravel) down to the Indian Ocean. Finally we reach the shore, quite exhausted, only with the help of a couple of local buddies, well into the night. The moon is strong though, and casts eerie shadows - we don't need a flashlight to pitch the tent. Coast to coast in one long day...
Above, Candida cruising on Socotra's southern plains. In fishing town Steroh we're offered a chunk of fresh lamb meat (in a plastic bag) for the holiday of Eid and a ride from a generous family man (below).
An epic return trip back to the north is what seperates us from starting point Hadibo - one of those expeditions you would never start if you had any idea what lays ahead... Formerly the 'easiest' way to cross the island, now this eastern track has fallen into disrepair as the Dixam asphalt road is underway. Slowly we climb back up to the higher plateaus, following a dry riverbed upstream, walking pushing our bikes. We pass a few small settlements on our hike - one of the towns smells entirely like incense (once big business on Socotra), another one takes us in for the night. Village doctor Ali speaks a little English and offers a nutricious meal of goat and dates, plus his giant guest room (bigger than the entire family home) to the two strangers. On the picture below, the guest room is the building behind our bikes.
And then finally back in Hadibo, surprizingly well in time. By now we have risen to the status of local celebrities, as we've been spotted on all sides of the island, mainly pushing our bikes... Very glad we composed some sort of loop though, as it took us to unexpected and rarely visited corners of the island. Hard to imagine that one week ago here in Hadibo, Candi made her first attempts pedalling with luggage...
Walking around the puddles in small and rusty Hadibo doesn't necessarily reveal that Socotra is on a lot of official agendas these days. Just as it's not immediately clear what the Portuguese and the Dutch were looking for on Socotra, centuries ago, nor what they left.
Today Hadibo is bustling with ecologists – the only strip of asphalt in town has more eco organizations than restaurants. A lot of them Belgians as a matter of fact (Kurt from Wevelgem had just left as we arrived). They devote their energy and holidays trying to preserve Socotra’s exceptional natural resources - an ecological momentum that has resulted in the establisment of several national parks, a minimum of awareness among locals and tourists, and an upcoming declaration of Socotra as UN World Natural Heritage.
As soon as we took our Bike Fridays out of their suitcases, we were bombarded 'ecotourists' by the ecoboys, in fact getting around on a smaller footprint than their 4by4s.
At the same time – on direct orders from the Yemeni president – Socotra is trying to catch up with the rest of the world. Ten years ago, there was no asphalt to be found on Socotra. Now, paved roads fan out from the capital, approximately 50 kilometers in each direction. And a lot more is under construction – the Pakistani road engineers we met on the way to Qalansiya assure that in a couple of years, an asphalt loop around Socotra will be in place.
The impact of fast paced modern progress on Socotra is already visible. The majority of the northern coastline has been blocked off from inland ecosystems by asphalt. And roads are more than strips of asphalt – they bring in plastics, tourists, islam schools, World Bank projects and construction, and take out the rural youth to Hadibo, and beyond. The human footprint on the island has enlarged dramatically over the last decade, putting the Dragon Blood Tree forest, one of the oldest surviving ecosystems in the world, at the verge of extinction in an estimated 80 years.
On the other hand, no one will contest the improvements for the Socotris, as famine (the last one in 1994!) belongs to the past.
Engineers build, and smile.
Ecologist frown. The best of them, according to Kay from Gent, have already left, tired of frowning.
And Socotra... is at a turning point, changing rapidly. Go see it - pure endemic bliss - as long as it lasts, or wait for easier biking as soon as the asphalt loop is ready. Keep us posted.
posted by Jan at 8:06 PM
1 Comments:
nice pics
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