Page 12 - AHATA
P. 12
A9
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,