My “Travel Style” interview with Johnny Jet

I can’t remember the first time I heard about Johnny Jet, which has become one of the leading travel information websites in the country. It’s just been imprinted on my travel brain for as long as I can recall. Founder John DiScala and his website have been featured more than 2,000 times in major publications and he has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC and PBS. Most recently, DiScala hosted “Hot Spots 2012” on the Travel Channel.

Needless to say, I was honored that he chose to interview me for his “Travel Style” series. Read the entire interview at JohnnyJet.com: http://www.johnnyjet.com/2013/11/travel-style-laura-watilo-blake/#ixzz2jtct3PSK

Travel Style: Laura Watilo Blake

How often do you fly: At least twice a month.

How many countries have you been to: 83

How many continents have you been to: 6 (Antarctica remains elusive)

Favorite American city: Santa Fe, NM, has a unique culture and identity that is all its own — from food to fashion. And then there’s the geographical diversity that surrounds it. Within a 20-minute drive you can be skiing on the slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains or hiking through slot canyons among giant hoodoos.

Favorite international city: Lima, Peru. I spent six months living and working there. The culinary scene at the time was at beginning stages of its rise to international acclaim. I was happiest, though, stopping by the corner market on my way to work and buying a ripe, juicy mango for the equivalent of 25 cents.

Least favorite country: The sex tourism trade is so overt in The Gambia, In this case, middle-aged Western women come for hot sex with the young, strapping black men. Needless to say, it was uncomfortable for me, as a female traveler without those intentions, to wander through the streets and continuously get approached and propositioned.

Country with the meanest immigration officers: The good ol’ USA. Those folks need to take a course on customer service skills. At least the Tanzanian immigration officer who was funneling travelers’ visa money into his own pocket had a smile on his face during the entire transaction.

Favorite World Heritage Site: The old town of Lijiang, China, is a car-less twisty maze of cobblestone streets and arched bridges spanning the narrow waterways. At each turn, you’re rewarded with postcard-perfect views or even some Naxi graffiti.

Favorite U.S. airport: I’m partial to MCI, where I grew up. I rarely have to wait more than two people deep in the security screening line.

Favorite international airport: Narita (NRT) has it all: strange unidentifiable food in the gift shops, massage chairs, free WIFI and best of all, day rooms for longer layovers

Favorite island: Staying on Anglesey, off the northwest coast of Wales, is like living in a fairytale. No wonder William and Kate kicked off their married life there. I even spotted the prince on his way home for dinner (see photo below).

Favorite beach: El Médano on Tenerife in the Canary Islands

Favorite fancy restaurant: Since I never had the opportunity to experience elBulli in Spain, I’ll go with Market, a Jean-Georges restaurant in Paris

Favorite hole in the wall: Chili Works in Los Alamos, NM, is a great place for a tasty breakfast burrito topped with homemade red and green chile (aka “Christmas”-style)

Least favorite food: anything squishy or still moving

Drink of choice (In the air and on the ground): water (but bourbon is a close second)

Favorite travel show(s): Globe Trekker, Amazing Race

Favorite travel book(s): Vagabonding by Rolf Potts inspired me to live abroad. Nothing to Declare by Mary Morris documents her expat life in Mexico. I’m sensing a theme.

Right now I am reading: The Longest Way Home by Andrew McCarthy, which just won gold for best travel book category in the 2013 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism competition

Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: Afar magazine, Digital Nomad, BudgetTravel

Favorite travel website(s) – besides JohnnyJet.com, of course!: lonelyplanet.com, tripit.com

Five things you bring on a plane: an eye mask (airlines don’t always provide them), moisturizer (to keep my skin hydrated), toothbrush, my iPad loaded with appropriate Lonely Planet chapters and all of my camera equipment (I don’t let it out of my sight) You will find more of my packing tips here.

What do you always seem to forget: a razor or other toiletries.

What do you like least about travel? Jet lag

What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport duty free store? Pocky

Favorite travel app(s): Waze (for road trips), Tripit (to keep track of my itinerary).

Most embarrassing travel moment: I carried on entire conversation in Spanish with a Canary Island couple I’d just met about preservatives in food before learning that the word for “preservative” in Spanish is a false cognate that actually means “condom.” I’m glad I didn’t tell them I was “embarazada” afterward. Luckily, I already knew that means “pregnant.”

Worst travel moment: I’ve been pretty lucky overall, but I nearly broke my neck while white-water rafting on the Nile. The boat overturned, dumping people on top of me, which drove me to the bottom of the river, where I hit my head on a rock, scraped my leg and broke my toe. It was only after I was back in the boat that I realized my helmet was cracked in half.

What’s your dream destination: The Maldives, Easter Island, Mongolia, Micronesia…the more I travel, the longer the bucket list

Favorite travel charity: The Passport Party Project is a great program that provides passports and travel opportunities for underprivileged teenage girls. I planned to participate last year, but my recipient didn’t get full parental support.

Best travel tip: Pack light. I make sure everything I pack serve at least two purposes, or I don’t bring it – with the notable exception of underwear. Scarves dress up an outfit or can be used as a headscarf or beach cover-up. Duct tape can repair a ripped backpack or restrain unruly airplane passengers (such as the one on a particular Icelandic air flight).