[Socotra]

Our local botanical garden (the Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh)
has had a long-term interest in the place, and have produced a GIGANTIC
full-colour book on the ethno-flora of Socotra. It must cost a fortune,
I just flipped through it at their reception desk.

I particularly liked the idea of grazing camels on a plant related to
lemon grass so you get flavoured milk.

In Google Earth it looks like Mars.

but as much as I would like to go to the Middle East/North Africa,
you're probably right that it's not all that safe for Americans,
not to mention American Jews.

Yemen is a significant tourist destination, though not cheap to get to,
so trouble must be very rare. Socotra must be a lot harder to reach.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === http://www.campin.me.uk ====
Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557
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