Month: March 2012

The green and the sea.

It’s travel time and we have 7,107 choices in the country. For those who have more disposable income, Southeast Asia destinations are tantalizing.

Vacation is time for relaxation and merriment. For some it’s adventure. But we should be careful not be too relaxed that we forget caution. The last thing that we would want is to turn vacation into nightmare.

Here are some simple, practical vacation and travel tips.

1. Make sure that the vehicle, if you are going by land, is in good condition. Is the driver also in good condition?

There was one trip I remember from Antique to Iloilo. I was with two other foreign journalists and a friend had us brought to Iloilo for our flight. Unknown to him, his driver stayed up late the night before and was sleepy. Somewhere in the town of San Joaquin in Iloilo, we noticed our car was going off the main road and to the sidewalk where a group of girls were walking. We alerted the driver who dozed off while driving. A split- second swerve avoided what could have been a terrible accident.

2. When you are taking a plane, make sure that you have your tickets with you as you leave your place for the airport. I know a number of people, who, in their rush forget to put their tickets in their bag and find out the omission upon arrival at the airport and there’s no more time to go back for it.

Since this is peak passenger season, the lines are usually long. Go to the airport early, at least two hours before your flight.

3. Have a checklist of the basic things you should bring. Clothes, underwears, medicine, etc. etc. Don’t forget appropriate shoes for activities you plan to do.

4. In your trip back, also make sure that you didn’t forget anything. Check the bathrooms for clothes that you hang dry.

Since the Philippines is a tropical country, the favorite destinations are beaches. At Fitness First, where I work out, I noticed more clients, mostly young people. It’s good to look good in a two-piece suit in the beach.

Actually, in the beach, everybody is pre-occupied with their own respective activities, no one really cares if you look terrific in a bikini or you are fat or thin. What is important is you enjoy.

Let me tell you a story when we went swimming in Acapulco, Mexico. We covered the state visit of President Ramos to Mexico and Acapulco was part of the itinerary.

During one of his meetings with officials that my reporter friends and I were not part of the media pool, we went to the beach because Acapulco is famous as a resort city. Gad, the Mexican girls were dazzling. They were so shapely. They have big breasts and flat abs. We felt so insecure, we didn’t want to get near them.

We told this to then Health Secretary Juan Flavier and he tried to console us saying, “Don’t feel bad. At least you are able to see your toes.”

Perfect summer activity is swimming. Do you know how to swim? If not, it’s never too late to take up swimming lessons. It’s easy and you can learn in a week.

Here are additional tips when in a beach from bloggers Tongue-Twisted and Duane:

1. Keep a close eye on the children. Make sure they are complete.

2. Practice the buddy system so that one takes care of another. Never allow one to go into the water alone.

3. Make sure you know the underwater terrain. Let them know which part of the sea is deep by marking them with a rope or empty bottles.

4. If you are a big group, assign a lifeguard who would take turns in monitoring.

5. Make sure that at least one knows CPR, CPR Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation.

6.Don’t get drunk.

7. Stay out of the sun between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Bad for the skin. Best is between 7:00 am and 9 am. Then resume enjoying the sun at 4 pm. Enjoy the sunset.

8. Avoid staring at the sexy bodies near you. Baka ka magulpi. Better wear sunglasses so it would not be too obvious.

9. Don’t go on a boat trip with children who don’t know how to swim. If you have to take a boat ride with the kids, make sure they are wearing life vests. It’s a good precautionary measure to wear a life vest even if you know how to swim when going to islands where you have to pass through the deep sea.

10. Drink plenty of water to avoid heat stroke.