Aruba is a small island measuring only 20 miles long by 7 miles wide. It's located a few miles from the Venezuelan coast. Suprisingly, most of Aruba is covered in cactus and weeds. When you're away from the beach, you can't tell it apart from much of the high deserts of America. There isn't a whole lot to do either unless you crave sitting on the beach and water sports. There's a small downtown sporting a casino and a couple clubs but that doesn't keep me entertained for long. Another noteworthy observation is that of all the places I have been, Aruba is the most Americanized. And that includes some American states! Kidding aside, at a glance it's virtually impossible to differenciate between touristy sections of Aruba and the USA. Same restaurant chains, same bagel shops, same fast food etc. On the plus side, the water is nice.