You probably recognize these cacti as Pipe Organ Cacti. But you may not recognize that what you are looking at is a picture of a domestic fence in Aruba. Building materials in Aruba must be imported. The island has no natural resources at all. The Pipe Organ Cacti are plentiful and easily grown in this arid climate.

Typically they will build a dry rock wall — no mortar — first. But the rock wall isn't sturdy enough to keep out the wild burros that inhabit the island. So then they plant the Pipe Organ Cacti outside the rock wall. The wall then will be very effective in keeping everything out.

Corrugated tin roofs are also very typical of the average house in Aruba.

Aruba is a desert island, and usually quite arid. Here's a typical rural hillside. It's probably greener than usual, because they said this was the first day they'd seen the sun in three weeks! They must have caught the same storm that caused the devastating floods in Caracas, Venezuela.

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