Cactus on an island by L. A. Keller

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Who knew cactus would grow on a Caribbean island? Certainly not me with my geography challenged brain. I've visited many of the more popular islands but I can't remember ever seeing cacti. If you have a chance to travel the several hours (nine from Phoenix) to visit Aruba you may see images similar to the one I'm including here.

Aruba is a Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela. Due to the location it has year round temperatures staying in the 80's Fahrenheit. If you have the stamina you could walk the entire island from top to bottom as it's less than twenty miles long and approximately six miles wide. Of course it has beautiful beaches but on the rocky side (where there are no tourist hotels), you will definitely see different scenery.  With humidity vastly different from that of mid to southern Arizona, I expected plants that need moisture, so it was a pleasant surprise for me to see cacti everywhere.

It's almost as if no matter where you go - there you are. My heart belongs in the desert and Aruba felt like a second home.



Happy Trails,

Leslie



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