<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/94f661cc-0519-4fd8-8afa-b1fe74cc9414/602D6668-40F7-4F1D-93FC-91BF4BDDFD4D/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html" href="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html" style="font-size: 11px;">www.darkroastedblend.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/EB9B29B6-7F07-42B6-B03B-57EE18D8F204" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html">geographically isolated from mainland Africa for the last 6 or 7 million years. Like the Galapagos Islands, this island is teeming with 700 endemic species of flora and fauna, a full 1/3 of which are <B>found nowhere else on Earth</B></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/054C4C20-36D2-4FB7-BA12-2EF942A45034" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/255D2F56-79FE-408F-BC01-8F11E2ADC13A" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><DIV>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. </DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/F0DC479D-DAC7-45C4-A754-CABB49D11BF7" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><DIV>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?</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/173D0FFB-8D29-40C5-A9C9-99DDD1A5B060" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/86C99D40-ACBE-4631-AE54-72A33FB32209" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/1D8DB59C-D0DF-4DB2-9578-09DFF32BC0B9" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/450D7D15-331A-4CA7-AFAB-3901D3565EA9" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/464EC51D-9556-4EBA-9114-759AA0580A99" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/D1D900AF-557A-49E5-A4A4-56CD82CA35DA" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/DCE64A25-53B8-4EAC-A6CC-2B50F8C58F12" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/BF157F01-DB28-41BF-A014-18BD566803E2" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/7477CC79-2A4A-4250-8BB7-B6F3410B63BC" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/FCDC9FCE-59A9-4E6C-8BF8-9E4BB591E019" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html">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</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/AB5B4952-72CB-458B-8A62-7584BC1437A0" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/B4DF8F54-C63E-48E1-9E74-C32813D146ED" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html">140 different species of birds; 10 of which are not found anywhere else in the world</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/FA30958C-B900-40DD-8FC9-C0687B174421" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.darkroastedblend.com/img/5551EEFC-A1E8-498F-AD40-FA549F8DB4BE" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html"><A href="http://www.socotra.ru/" linkindex="616" set="yes">socotra</A></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/602D6668-40F7-4F1D-93FC-91BF4BDDFD4D/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

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