Socotra, Yemen Part 4 - Aunt Anna meets the caveman

Guest writer: Anna Nilsson Spets

When you're an aunt, you can always blame your age for forgetting things, or you can try to remember to keep a diary...

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One of these days we had the opportunity to snorkel, which is a highlight for me. The best thing is when you can just step in directly from the beach and directly end up in a saltwater aquarium as well.

Lots of big fish, groupers and snappers and I don't even know the name of all the species. It was quite windy so I stayed in shallow water, my mates who swam further out saw turtles and reef sharks.

Day 7: The morning was set aside for a boat trip, but when we arrived at Qalansiyah, Socotra's second largest town, the waves were high and no boats were going out. Too bad, but the course of nature can't be controlled.

We wander a bit on the beach, take photos, talk. Chilling, just like the schoolchild who has not gone to school for the day. He was chilling, he said.

Further up the beach is the fish market where you can buy fish and have your big fish cut up.

A legend on Socotra is the caveman, if you have been to Socotra you should definitely have visited him. We hike up the mountain to his cave, no one more than a kitten is home.

We see the caveman and other tourists far down the beach, enjoy the view and doze off for a while on the mats on the cave floor.

Abdullah, the caveman, comes striding with big steps, he shouts welcome, shakes hands with us all. His English, learnt from visitors, is not bad at all and his positivism is indescribable.

Tea is passed round, I'm sure I'm committing a mortal sin turning it down. The kid then does the dishes...

62 years old, like myself... Gosh what a fit man he is, muscles and sinewy body, healthy teeth and exudes only natural freshness. He is barefoot, dressed in tisha and miwaz, the traditional male attire.

Abdullah was born in the cave, he is the third generation to live there.

We are shown around, sleeping place, eating place and all the skeletons that Abdullah found. He lives on what the sea provides, catching a lot with his bare hands. Oysters, mussels and squid. Abdullah also makes his own salt from the sea water.

Once a week he goes to the village to see his wife (who comes from the neighbouring cave), children and grandchildren, and visits the mosque.

The necklace is made of killer whale teeth, the skin is smooth as velvet.

We bid the caveman a fond farewell and head back down to the jeeps. The man, the myth, the legend, for sure.

A brief stop at a primary school, hundreds of children in full classrooms, boys and girls separately.

Wonderful is short, it's our penultimate day and we are driving around Hadibo, the city. Hadibo looks like any other less dusty and rubbishy town, nothing remarkable actually.

The infrastructure and all that it entails is a bit patchy, and waste management works poorly.

Some purchases are made in a women's handicraft co-operative.

Our last night, it feels a bit sad to have one last good meal with my newfound friends and crawl into the tent one last time.

Day 8: We hug, exchange addresses and I am endlessly grateful for my week with team SST and my fellow travellers.

The flight goes to Abu Dhabi, a hotel night, a couple of turns in the swimming pool and after a week without a shower, it was extremely nice to wash off the sand and dust.

Thank you friends and team Socotra Speciality Tours.

Summing up: Visiting Socotra

• Security: On Socotra, there is definitely nothing to worry about, even though Yemen itself is under conflict, it is not noticeable.
• Diseases: Neither malaria nor rabies exist, there is not a single dog on the island.
• Internet/telephone: Being connected, hmm, sometimes. You need a SIM card from the UAE.
• Electricity in campsites: No or very little. One or two powerbanks are a must, charged in the jeeps.
• Condition: Basic fitness, some treks are, as I said, a bit hard.
• Economy of the country: The population lives from fishing and small-scale farming. A lot of aid comes from the UAE, such as grants for schools and healthcare.
• The future: I really wish that Socotra remains the undiscovered gem. Mass tourism would completely ruin its uniqueness.

The bottom line is that Socotra is a very exciting destination!!!!

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Anna Nilsson Spets

60+ year old lady with a lifelong love for Africa. Emigrated to Flanders in Belgium and works with plants on a daily basis. Writes, takes photos and tries to inspire others to budget travel on their own. Blogs on "Anna's mix" about travelling, work, plants, writing and much more.

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