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ARUBA

 

On this side of the Island, feral goats traverse the arid, rocky desert. Sprinkled throughout the giant rocks of vibrant magma, ruin remnants of gold mine empires date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Caves tunnel under colorful volcanic rock. Subterranean geological mazes angrily twist and crack. Abandoned paths to the unobtainable glory of gold melded dreams. The gold rush has come, and it has gone with the wind.

 

Ocean waves crash against the island edges. Winds are free of obstruction to brush the flat lands as they see fit. Gold mines lay abandoned but windmills continue to spin. On this land, technology doesn't stand a chance against nature. Mining drills are chewed up and spit out by brutal tectonic plates that are molten-hot and hungry for precious metals.

Windows of a desert ruin in Aruba. Windmills and cactus can be seen in the distance exterior.
A volcanic cave with open sky window.
A park ranger surrounded by colorful volcanic rocks in Aruba.
A makeshift shed along side volcanic rocks and caves of Aruba.
A park ranger climbing over colorful volcanic rocks in Aruba.
A photograph of goats roaming the desert of Aruba.
Windmills in the deserts of Aruba.

 

On this land, a different kind of technology remains alive. Windmills stand tall to harness relentless winds. Solar and other green energy developments continue to prove reliable as in-tune instruments of the island's natural rhythm.

The gold rush here has faded into history. However, the spirit of innovation remains. It is  timeless story of timely relevance. It is a lesson for humanity. How far will we go if we learn to work with, rather than against, nature, and her powerful forces?

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