A devotee of the Chinese shrine of Kathu Shrine, pierces his cheeks with umbrellas during a procession of Vegetarian Festival on October 4, 2011 in Phuket, Thailand. Ritual Vegetarianism in Phuket Island traces it roots back to the early 1800's. The festival begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts for nine days. Participants in the festival perform acts of body piercing as a means of shifting evil spirits from individuals onto themselves and bring the community good luck. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images)

A Thai man smokes a cigarette as he sits in the flooded streets October 10, 2011 in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Around 200 factories closed in the central Thai province of Ayutthaya because of flooding, which is posing a threat to Bangkok as well. Over 260 people have died in flood-related incidents since late July according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Some areas of the country are experiencing the worst flooding in 50 years, mainly in the centre, north and northeast. (Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images)

An employee of the British Museum examines a silver coin dating from 900 AD which is part of the Silverdale Viking Hoard on December 14, 2011 in London, England. The hoard, which was discovered by local metal-detectorist Darren Webster in North Lancashire, comprises of 201 silver objects including arm-rings, coins, finger-rings, ingots, brooch fragments and fine wire braid. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

North Korean defectors, now living in South Korea, prepare to release balloons carrying propaganda leaflets denouncing North Korea's late leader Kim Jong-Il at Imjingak, near the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating South and North Korea on December 28, 2011 in Paju, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

An elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume gives out gifts to students to mark the Christmas season at a school in Ayutthaya province on December 24, 2010. The event was held as part of a campaign to promote Christmas in Thailand. (Photo by Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP Photo)

“Hadhramaut (Hadhramout, Hadramawt or Ḥaḍramūt) is the formerly independent Qu'aiti state and Kathiri sultanate encompassing a historical region of the south Arabian Peninsula along the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea, extending eastwards from Yemen to the borders of the Dhofar region of Oman. The name of the region is currently retained in the smaller Hadhramaut Governorate of the Republic of Yemen. The people of Hadhramaut are called Hadhramis and speak Hadhrami Arabic”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Wadi Hadhramaut, Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen: A woman in abayas and traditional straw hats - conical witches hats, known as madhalla. (Photo by Eric Lafforgue)