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                                                                                                           LOCAL Friday 1 august 2025






























             Cas di Torto


            ORANJESTAD    Cas  di  torto
            (also called cas di lodo or
            cas di bara) is a traditional
            building  technique  from
            Aruba.  It refers to a type of
            houses  made  of  mud  with
            rounded  corners.  These
            houses  were  usually  found
            around the plantations. The
            few  structures  that  still  ex-
            ist are the oldest structures
            that are left standing in the
            country.

            The  technique  probably
            came  over  from  the  Ven-  dition.                      then coated with aloe vera  lumnar  cacti  were  used.  was collected in small rain
            ezuelan  Paraguaná  Pen-     The  skeleton  of  the  hous-  juice, which gives the white  The  floor  is  made  of  loam,  ponds. Around this barrel a
            insula  in  the  18th  century.  es  is  made  up  of  round  colour and helps to protect  mixed with cement or cow  thick  loam  wall  would  be
            Existing  houses  date  back  wooden poles placed with  against the weather.           dung.                        erected. Often large fami-
            150  years.  Until  1925  many  distances  of  1.5  feet  be-  On  top  of  the  poles  piec-                       lies would live in these hous-
            houses on Aruba were built  tween them. Branches are  es  of  wood  are  fitted  that  The houses were usually di-  es; people would sleep on
            using  this  technique,  after-  interwoven between them,  serve  as  the  base  for  the  vided into a kitchen, a living  mats on the floor.
            wards  it  fell  into  disuse.  In  completing  the  structural  roof  beams.  Until  1815  the  room, a porch and a bed-  If  you  visit  the  Arikok  Na-
            2005  there  were  62  cas  di  support. On this basis, loam  roofing  usually  consisted  room. In the kitchen would  tional Park you will be able
            torto  houses  left,  of  which  is applied, mixed with sand,  of  corn  (maize)  stems,  af-  be a wooden or metal bar-  to  see  a  very  nice  cas  di
            only four were in good con-  water and para grass. This is  terwards  the  nuclei  of  co-  rel  for  storing  water  that  torto.q


             Prohibited by law: leaving the island with seashells, white sand


             or corals


            (Oranjestad)—Often  times,                                                             a  fine  that  they  have  to  shells  and  corals  in  a  sus-
            the customs department at                                                              pay  before  leaving.  This  is  tainable  way,  without  de-
            the airport intercepts many                                                            surely  not  a  pleasant  ex-  stroying  or  disrupting  the
            tourists  leaving  the  island                                                         perience for the tourist. This  Aruban ecosystem. Help us
            with  seashells,  white  sand                                                          also leads to a negative re-  protect what is ours!.q
            and/or corals as souvenirs.                                                            action  which  can  put  our
                                                                                                   tourism in a negative light.
            Conforming  to  the  inter-                                                            Though we love to accom-
            national  treaty  of  CITES                                                            modate our visitors, let’s all
            and  our  local  law  which                                                            give  nature  the  respect  it
            protects  our  Flora  &  Fau-                                                          deserves by protecting our
            na,  it  is  absolutely  prohib-                                                       environment.  Stop  collect-
            ited  to  take  any  seashell,                                                         ing  seashells,  white  sand
            sand  and  coral  outside                                                              and corals from our shores
            of  Aruba.  This  is  to  protect                                                      and stop buying or accept-
            our  environment.  The  high                                                           ing  these  from  local  sellers
            number  of  seashells,  coral                                                          or companies.
            and  amount  of  sand  con-
            fiscated is very strange and                                                           We want our future gener-
            it is suspected that our own  these to the tourists, which  Upon  confiscation  at  the  ations and visitors to enjoy
            locals  are  the  ones  selling  is unacceptable.         airport,  you  can  also  face  the beauty of our beaches,
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