jasper
The island of Socotra is a place that is unlike any other place. Isolated from the African mainland six million years ago, it feels like a scene from a sci-fi movie. The island is home to incredible and unique plants and trees that you won’t find anywhere else. Two of the most unusual are the Ancient Dragon’s Blood Tree and the Bulbs Bottle Tree. It is definitely one of the most unique places in the world!
Even though Yemen is facing conflict, people are still working hard to protect Socotra’s special environment. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. However, it is still difficult to travel there due to the political problems in the area.
This glossy sea-glass beach in California is the result of littering there over the years. It didn’t stop until the 1960s, but by then the sea was full of everything from old equipment to bottles and cans.
Over time, the waves break everything into colored pebbles, turning the beach into a major tourist attraction. Now, it’s ironically at stake as visitors continue to take the glass home.
The fly geyser looks like something from another planet. It is on private land near the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. It was accidentally created in 1964 when an energy company drilled in geothermal water. Now, the hot water shoots up to five feet high and minerals are formed, causing the cone to grow by a few inches each year.
Bright red and green colors come from special algae that loves heat. You can’t just walk up to the fly geyser; You’ll need to join a guided tour with the Friends of Black Rock-High Rock to see it.