Our first dive into the ocean out front of our hotel was a bit disappointing. The entry to the water is fantastic, with some unbelievably soft sand. It is exceptionally fine sand, but there is quite a bit of seaweed in spots. The water is lovely and warm. There are no fish over the sandy bits, and when we finally got out to some reef, the waves were really too strong to make it enjoyable. We stayed for a bit, but decided to try another beach.

After a nice lunch at Busby’s by the Beach, we piled in the car and risked the potholes. We headed over to the French side, and picked a beach called Friar’s Bay. There were a lot of locals there, and only a couple topless bathers.

The fish were the usual suspects – Sgt Majors, wrasses, parrot fish, etc. But we did see a trio of Queen Angels who were hanging around with a bunch of yellowtail snapper.

Most stores were closed, since it was Sunday. We drove around the entire island, and it looks like it’s going to be a fun place to explore.
There are a couple of forts, and lots of pretty flowers. It seems a lot more lush than Aruba, that’s for sure.

Dinner was at Daniel’s, the restaurant that Busby’s by the Beach turns into at night. It specializes in Italian food, so naturally we had fish! Pam, Maggie and I all had the special of the day, Snapper in a black pepper sauce. We were all very satisfied with it. Service was attentive and efficient. It was great fun to watch the waiters head to the fresh lobster tank and fish out people’s dinner. They would grab them by the antennae, set them on the floor, then scoop out the next one. One time, the guy needed four, so by the time he had the fourth one, one had scampered away!
We ended the evening in the infinity pool, and hot tub, which was most relaxing. The island you can see in the background is St. Bart’s. There is a hot tub here, but it wasn’t hot enough for us! The staff was most attentive tho, and turned up the temperature as soon as we mentioned it. We’re hoping for smoking hot tomorrow night!