No to Jewelry and Yes to Peanut Butter

The Travel Channel sent a couple of preview discs from Samantha Brown’s new series, Passport to Latin America. Shopping for bikinis in Rio, learning to tango in Buenos Aires… it looks to be a great series. Sam is an enthusiastic traveler who makes contact with the locals and seems to score great hotel rooms at swanky places. What a way to travel!

I did a Q&A for BlogHer, but it occurs to me that you might like to read it too, it’s kinda fun.

Let’s get this out of the way first. Do you have the best job in the world or what?

Oh, I really do and I waited on tables in NYC for eight years so I can say that without a doubt.

Tell me a little bit about your day while you’re doing the show. I imagine there’s lots going on behind the scenes that we don’t see.

Usually we start shooting at 7 or 8am. I’ll get up at around 4:30 because my brain is freshest (after a strong cup of tea) and it is when I write best. Hair and Make-up takes about 45 minutes as well. We shoot a 12 hours a day and complete 4 to 5 scenes. Sometimes it’s a whirlwind of activity especially when we are in a central market and its swarming with shoppers, venders, produce, fish and meat –this is my favorite because of the spontaneity it inspires. An adventure activity is tough because there are so many cut shots (Sam puts on helmet, Sam buckles helmet, puts fingers in gloves, sits on ATV, revs engine etc) and really it becomes so tedious that all the joy is taken out of it. I was with an adventure outfitter recently and we were doing a rock climbing scene. After an hour of just shooting us gear up he turned to me and said “I had no idea how boring this was.”

How do you decide what’s going to make the cut for the show? Cramming a city like Buenos Aires in to one short travel episode must be a real challenge.

Yeah, luckily that’s the producers job. I’ve worked with the same production company PineRidge Film and Television for eight years and they do an excellent job. I think a really great show on the Travel Channel would be the behind the scenes of what it takes to put together a travel show.

You mention safety in both of the episodes that I watched. Can you tell me a little bit out the steps you take to secure yourself as a traveler?

I go to the State department web site first or I type in “certain country” crime and see what comes up. I never wear any jewelry, especially my wedding ring. I always dress casually and in muted colors so I don’t draw any attention to myself. Now this is where what I do off camera is different from on. On camera I always wear bright colored shirts simply so you can always spot me in the crowd-in real life I never wear pink. While in Rio I was strongly advised not to walk alone do to safety but the idea of spending the day in my hotel room or only in places with other tourists was killing me, so I dressed down and put the equivalent of 30 bucks in my pocket. Most crime there is kids holding you up for your money. I thought if I was held up thirty bucks would make’em happy and I could get to see the city I wanted to see. I had absolutely no problems in fact it was one of the most magical days I have ever had and reinforced why Rio is one of the most fascinating cities in the world.

Following on that, you also mention that you travel alone. Can you tell me a little bit about why you travel solo and what you like and dislike about being a solitary traveler?

I am with a crew but essentially it feels like I’m alone as after shooting I’ll walk around alone, on days off I’m alone and of course I go back to my hotel room alone-God, that sounds so depressing but it’s really not. What I love about being alone is that I don’t have to confer with anyone else on what we should. And being by myself really motivates me to learn the language and put myself out there in ways that I wouldn’t do if I had a partner in crime.

These are the two questions I ask everyone I talk to:

One: What’s ALWAYS in your luggage – what don’t you leave home without? (I’m not talking toothbrush here. I’m talking those funny personal items travelers seem to glom on to.)

A jar of chunky Peanut Butter and two “Pinky Balls” –these are the pink hard rubber balls you get in toy stores. I put them on the floor, lay on them and roll them down my back and legs-this works out all the kinks and knots of traveling way too much and is about $115 dollars cheaper than a massage.

And two: Where haven’t you been that you’re dying to go and what’s the appeal?

China-but I am scheduled to go there in September. If there’s one thing I could change about myself (except my height) it would be to let go of the need to always be in control. I do it in real life and on the show, I have to control the situation I am in. I think that China will be so vastly different than anything I have ever experienced: from architecture to religion from cuisine to culture that I will have no choice but to let the walls I build up around me as my protection to crumble down. I think it will be an incredibly freeing experience.

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I think the Travel Channel should send a Nerd’s Eye View rep along to blog the “making of” a travel show. I’d like to go to China, too. I’m just sayin…Previous Travel Q&As on BlogHer:

• Andrea Martins talks about Expat Women
• Talking with Ross Borden of Matador Travel
• A Conversation with American Airlines/Women

[tags]Travel Channel, Samantha Brown[/tags]