Travel time with Susan Calo-Medina

Philippine STAR travel columnist Edu Jarque will kill me! But before he commits murder (with me as his victim), allow me to say first that his Citizen of the World column is one of my favorites among the Sunday features of this paper. In fact, I like it so much that I’m even copying its format just for today’s edition of Starbytes.

I decided to focus on travel today because tourism in this country (and even in other parts of the world) is now on an all-time low – no thanks to the terrorists’ attacks on the US recently.

So, even without Mr. Jarque’s permission, I’m using his format. And to talk about her travels is the queen of travel shows herself, Susan Calo-Medina.

Describe your first trip to Manila.

I can’t remember my first trip to Manila. I was less than five. My father had just won as congressman for the lone district of Agusan and we came to Manila because Congress was convened. It must have been the last Congress of the Commonwealth and the first Congress of the Republic because my mother said that she and I attended the Independence Day ceremonies on July 4, 1946 which my father attended as one of the members of the House.

Describe your first trip abroad.

My first trip abroad was in August 1960. I had just graduated from the Assumption and I was going to Washington D.C. to do my graduate degree in Speech and Drama at the Catholic University of America.

We took a propeller plane to Hong Kong, which had to return to Manila because of bad weather. We took off again the next day, stayed in Hong Kong a few days to shop and left for San Francisco. After a few days in San Francisco, my mother and I flew to Washington D.C.

I don’t remember the excitement as one of being in a new land. The excitement was one of being finally free. I was finally going to be alone to do as I pleased. I was going to fly. I had my wings and I was going to conquer new worlds. The place didn’t matter. The freedom did.

How do you spend time at the airport?

The first thing I do after checking in is to go to the lounge and have a cup of coffee. I leave my hand-carry and head for the newsstand to browse, sometimes buy a magazine or book. Then, I check the duty-free stores. Mostly I buy food and some last-minute pasalubongs. Then I go back to the lounge and read till it is time to board.

What can’t you leave home without?

I can’t leave home without my vitamins and food supplements, my toiletries, of course, and a book to read. And my rosary. If it’s a long flight, a change of clothes in my hand-carry so I can relax in the plane.

What’s the first thing you do upon checking in at the hotel?

If it’s a shooting trip, the first thing I do is sit down with my production manager and the local coordinator to check the shooting schedule and other details of the shoot. If it’s a local trip, I check the bathroom. If it’s a foreign trip, I check guide magazines, look for a map of the city and check places I want to go to or call the concierge to ask questions or list down telephone numbers of establishments I am interested in. The first establishments I check are restaurants and museums.

What do you look for in a hotel?

If it’s a shooting trip here in the country, I don’t look for anything. I’m there to work and I hardly use the hotel except to sleep. I always say I’ve been in worse situations in isolated places, so I’m satisfied with whatever I find, as far as hotels go.

If I’m on vacation, I look for the quality of service, the quality of their coffee and the condition of the bathroom. If it’s a hotel outside the city, I look for quality of food also because very often, there aren’t any other eating places around. If I’m abroad or in a local city, quality of food doesn’t matter because there are always many restaurants around. But the quality of the coffee is important because it’s the first thing I have in the morning and I like to relax with a cup of coffee before I sleep.

Do you have this habit of pinching some of the hotel bathroom supplies and taking them home?

No, because toiletries are very personal and I use only my own brand.

What do you miss most when you’re away from home?

Nothing and no one. Because if I’m on a shooting trip, I’m too busy to miss anyone. Besides, I’m home after a few days. If it’s a vacation, I don’t miss anything or anyone either because I take a vacation to get away. When I start to miss my family, then I’ve been away too long, and I go home.

Who is your favorite traveling companion?

My children. We like the same things and we have the same traveling habits. We like to explore, get to know the locals, visit museums, eat, sit around and people-watch and drink and shop.

What is the best travel advice you’ve received from other seasoned travelers?

I can’t remember.

Name your favorite city abroad.

If by favorite you mean a city where I wouldn’t mind living, I’d say New York, Florence and London.

What would you consider a must-do activity before departing from a foreign city?

I must visit the museum and eat in a restaurant I’ve read about. But before I leave, I always go to a delicatessen and buy food specialties to bring home.

What is the strangest thing you’ve done on a trip?

The strangest things are done on shooting trips. I’ve been on a navy boat to Tawi-Tawi with 13 men (including my crew) and the boat had no bathroom. Also, on a shooting trip in isolated places, I’ve done my constitutionals in the open and taken a bath under the stars.

What is the first thing you do upon returning home?

I ask for my children. These days, there’s only one child at home.

Name the country you have never visited but would like to see someday.

I’d like to see Belgium because they say the best French food is in Belgium. I’d like to see Nepal and climb at least part of Mt. Everest. I’d like to see Sikkhim and Bhutan and Luang Prabang in Laos. I’d like to go to the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica, see the Iguazu Falls and Victoria Hills and Patagonia.

(To be concluded)