mobile phones around the world

[HelenD123]

Yes I was curious about the Kindle, the blurb mentions a web browser and 3G coverage in a heap of countries - but internet and email without a data plan seems to good to be true. I assumed that you can buy books from Amazon in a heap of countries but only use wifi for browsing. But I'd be very happy to be wrong!

WiFi coverage is variable - so you also need to have a phone, but it should be possible to find a wifi connection once a week or so - and aramok may not want to talk to her mother-in-law more often than that.

It's tedious to use I think, that's the catch. I just thought it would be useful in an emergency. I've had a couple of occasions when I've been e-mailed the phone number of a host but forgotten to write it down and then of course not been able to find wifi when I needed it to get into my e-mail.

 

[slowmotion]

Leave your mobiles at home and have more fun. Shrug off the slavery of constant communication. Discover travel.

 

[andym]

Hmm yes until the day comes when you really need to phone home, or call someone to tell them you're going to be late, or reserve a hotel room, or check a train timetable etc etc

Picking up on samid's point - you can zlways leep them switched off until you need them.

 

[slowmotion]

Hmm yes until the day comes when you really need to phone home, or call someone to tell them you're going to be late, or reserve a hotel room, or check a train timetable etc etc

When that stuff still looms large, you have a problem with travel.

 

[andym]

Helen - i'd be really interested to know how you get on with the Kindle (like I need an excuse to get another gadget).

When that stuff still looms large, you have a problem with travel.

when you say 'that stuff' you mean friends, and family?

Anyway these threads always attract at least one tecnophobe troll: if you're not interested in mobile phones abroad don't open the thread

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Hi & thanks - it has been very interesting reading people's responces.

I think the biggest concern my other half has is if we get seperated. Families are used to us not contacting them or them knowing where we are or what we are doing. I'm not expecting to have much signal for quite a lot of time, we tend to disappear into the 'wilds' quite a lot not contacing families for weeks on end - we are both well used to 'surviving' and living in the wilds quite happily.
luckily constant communication is not something I have ever been good at and most of the teme I don't even bother carrying my mobile let alone turning it on or in most cases knowing where it is .
that is why I was looking at what options are there - simply becuase I don't know and sometimes I guess it may be useful but it is not going to be turned on very often.

thanks very much
Emma

 

[amaferanga]

First off I'm definitely not a tecnophobe troll. But I personally don't see why anyone should be pressurised into carrying a mobile phone when touring. In many parts of the world you'd only get phone reception in major towns and cities, where you can also get internet access. Finding sims, keeping the phone topped up and charged is just unnecessary hassle IMO.

So my choice always has been to not carry a phone, but instead contact family when I can - I'd usually tell them it'll be several days more before I contact them than I expect it will be to allow for getting held up, etc.

If there is something important that they need to contact me for then they can email me and I'll get it next time I have the chance to go online - it's not as if I could do anything where I'd be anyway. Short of a very close family member dying I can't think of any reason why I'd need to be contacted immediately anyway.

Having a phone and being contactable (almost) any time day or night to me means your not really removed from the world you occupy at home, which defeats one of the purposes of touring.

One other thing - IME family will get used to you being away pretty quickly and after a time will worry less if you're not in touch for weeks on end compared to how it'll be when you first head off.

 

[ColinJ]

Having a phone and being contactable (almost) any time day or night to me means your not really removed from the world you occupy at home, which defeats one of the purposes of touring.

I haven't been touring (yet), but I agree with you.

I don't even like carrying a phone when I'm walking or cycling from home because I don't want calls to intrude on what I'm doing.

People say "What would you do if you had an accident?" My reply is "What people used to do before mobile phones were invented!"

I (reluctantly) carry a phone for the forum rides that I organise because it would be a pity to miss somebody who had been held up by 20 minutes on the way over, or to wait 20 minutes for somebody who could no longer make it.

 

[slowmotion]

^ Wot these two said.

 

[samid]

While I do carry a phone I generally agree with what those three ^ said

 

[slowmotion]

Helen - i'd be really interested to know how you get on with the Kindle (like I need an excuse to get another gadget).



when you say 'that stuff' you mean friends, and family?

Anyway these threads always attract at least one tecnophobe troll: if you're not interested in mobile phones abroad don't open the thread

There seem to be four.

 

[Ticktockmy]

One very good reason to carry a phone or similar device with you these days if touring and away from home, is because the media are to dammed quick to get breaking bad news out on the wire world wide.

A few years ago I was touring in Thailand having wended my way up from Spore; I had planned to take the river boat up the river Mae Sae from a town called Fang. This my family knew.

However I was running a day late, so missed the boat. Which was good for me but bad for those who caught it, as it was attacked by Karan Bandits and some of the passengers where killed and other where injured. It was on the wire within minutes, so my family were then worried that I was among the killed and injured.

As I did not have a mobile phone with me they had to wait until I made my scheduled call which was a few days later.

I always now travel with mine, but most of the time it’s switched off, but my family know that I switch it twice a day just to check if they have txt me with any problems and I to either call or txt them.

 

[jay clock]

In many parts of the world you'd only get phone reception in major towns and cities, where you can also get internet access.

in fact the poorer the country the wider the spread. This is because there is no landline infrastructure and the cost of installing it is massive, whereas the market for mobiles is in massive boom mode.

I would say the opposite of what some of the most recent posters said. Don't feel that using a mobile is uncool or that you should not take one. I have three lovely daughters and loads of friends and family that I LOVE to text, call and keep in touch with when touring, and the mobile allows that, quite cheaply.

ColinJ, out of interest do you have a landline? Or electricity? Running water? Or are these also things you shun? People used to manage without them too and as recently as 1992 I had a colleague who had no home phone, let alone mobile

Jay

 

[ColinJ]

ColinJ, out of interest do you have a landline?  Or electricity? Running water?  Or are these also things you shun?  People used to manage without them too and as recently as 1992 I had a colleague who had no home phone, let alone mobile

I have a landline but I don't have an answering machine/service on it. I have electricity, running water and gas, but I don't have hot water, central heating, double glazing, a car, or a garden!

People can call me as many times as they like on my landline while I am out on my bike. That doesn't interrupt my ride. 

Electricity has only disrupted my lifestyle when there is a power cut when I'm in (or recording a TV programme on one of those new-fangled recorder gadgets). 

I admit that I would be somewhat peeved if my water supply got cut off. I could always walk down to the river to get some, but I'd have to clean it up before I'd risk drinking it.

I spend a lot of time on this forum but I'm blowed if I want to take my laptop + dongle with me on rides to keep an eye on what is happening while I'm out.

My point wasn't that I hate technology, I actually rather like a lot of it. I did a degree in electronic engineering and spent nearly 20 years working in high-tech industries.

What I dislike is disruptive technology. Email is great, because I only access it when I want to access it. Somebody expecting me to stop what I am doing and talk to them on a mobile phone the instant that they want me to is very disruptive. It can wait. Even if it is important - it can wait.

Years back, my sister bought an early mobile phone and came up to visit me. I took her on a walk to a remote spot and instead of standing there quietly enjoying the view, she started phoning people up and describing it to them. It spoiled the moment for me but at least she seemed to be having a nice time...

If I ever go on an adventurous tour, I will probably email the family every couple of weeks or so. I'd prefer to tell them about my adventures when I get back, not while I am still having them!  

 

[Yellow7]

I must agree with the leave the phone at home option, it's just another bit of kit to carry and charge. Using skype works ok for me..so far!
You can also use the laptop for picture / music storage / back-up.

If two of you do get split pre-arrange a meet-up place if i a large town or city.

Many people say "what if" something happens, I say "what if it don't"

Mark

www.wallisonwheels.com