So on our honeymoon, my wife and I went on a Caribbean cruise. It was my first time on a cruise ship. I became spoiled very quickly with the sunshine, the sound of the waves from our balcony and being able to see places you can’t drive to. And cruise ship food is legendary. It’s everywhere, all the time, and frequently awesome. Plus, most of it is included in the price of your ticket, so you don’t have to get nervous at the dining table when you see things on the menu that you wouldn’t eat at home because they’re too expensive. Lobster tail or filet mignon? Have both. You’re on vacation!
Long story short, we decided that if our finances allowed, we would try to do a cruise every five years. So when the five-year mark rolled around, we made good on that and boarded the Carnival Miracle in Ft. Lauderdale. I could do a whole series of posts just on cruise ship food (and I probably will at some point), but today, I want to talk about our first stop on this particular voyage, a tiny little island called Saint Martin/Sint Maarten.
Why does it have two names? Because it’s actually two countries on one island that measures a scant 34 square miles, which is about half the size of the city of Springfield, Illinois. The southern part of the island is Sint Maarten, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The northern part is Collectivité de Saint-Martin, an overseas collectivity of France. St. Martin/Sint Maarten is known for many things, but we’re here to talk about the food.
Oh, that food. . .
Basically, I would have to make many more trips to explore ALL the food options on this island, particularly on the French side, but here’s what I experienced in our day there. We disembarked at the Great Bay in Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side. 
Downtown Philipsburg is easily walkable, and our wanderings brought us to the Guavaberry Emporium.
Guavaberry is the national liqeur of St. Martin/Sint Maarten. It is made from rum, cane sugar and the rare wild guavaberries that grow in the center of the island. On Front Street is a shop that sells rums and liqueurs. . .and hot sauces.
You have my attention, Guavaberry Emporium.
Of all the comestibles that I consider myself a connoisseur of, hot sauce probably tops the list. So whenever in my wanderings I come across a place that has samples, it’s, “Honey, you go browse. If you need me, I’ll be over here hurting myself.”
The Guavaberry Emporium has 11 different sauces and spices for sale. I tried most of them, but one was a cut above. It is known as Liquid Fire, and is billed as “not for children or normal adults.” In about a 4-second span it is sweet, then fruity, then intensely hot. Notice the sweatball on my forehead. That’s not just from the tropical weather.
Whew, I think I need a break before lunch, but I AM getting hungry!
(Come back next week for Part 2: The French Side)