Day 7: Degub Cave
We relaxed on our last day on the beach. After lunch, we packed the tents the last time and loaded them into the cars. There was one more place to see – Degub Cave that is more like a grotto and not as big and impressive as Hoq Cave. The hike to it was short and we did not spend much time inside.
We got into our cars to drive to Hadiboh and one of them did not start. The usual Socotrian method of touching the dead battery with a good one did not work. The men of the group gathered around the car. They all looked under the hood, prodded the oily and dirty engine parts with their fingers and provided expert advice but none of this helped. Our Muslim drivers got together and said a short prayer. Perhaps, Allah was busy at the time with more pressing issues because the car refused to start. There was nothing to do other than to leave the broken car behind. Its driver, Ahmed, stayed with car. The three passengers from Ahmed’d car took seats in the other vehicles and we drove off. We did not get far from the cave when Ahmed caught up with us. He managed to start the engine. It is unknown if it was due to divine intervention or the engine needed more time to cool down but we got to Hadiboh with no issues and checked in into Summerland Hotel.
We had dinner at the same place, Shabwa restaurant, where we ate on our first day on the island. This time, nobody was shocked by flatbread plopped on the tables in front of us. It took just one week for the thin veneer of civilized habits to disappear.
Day 8: Hadiboh to Abu Dhabi
It felt odd, even uncomfortable to sleep in the bed after a week in the tent. In the morning, we said goodbye to Socotra and flew back to Abu Dhabi. I parted with the group at the airport. They were going home while for me, Socotra was only the first leg of this trip. I spent the night at the same AUHotel located in the transit zone and on the following morning took the flight to Amman, Jordan. For the next 3 weeks, I will be traveling solo through several Muslim countries.
