30 years ago was a different time (or so I am told). We would set out on an adventure, bid farewell to family and friends and that would be that; see you in a month. If I get a spare 2 seconds to think about something other than where I’m going next, maybe I’ll send you a postcard. Unlikely.
Even 10 years ago (a time I actually remember), when I was traipsing around Europe, staying connected was a pretty foreign concept. But it could have saved me from many headaches.
These days, everything is different. Not only do we have the ability to keep in touch with loved ones back home as if we were in the next suburb, but it’s actually a huge convenience being connected locally as well.
For me personally, connectivity everywhere isn’t just about putting up the next Instagram photo. Priority number one is being able to do research on the road or call places for info without needing to use a pay phone (if in fact they still exist) or a hotel phone. For better or for worse it is a convenience I’ve come to rely on so now when I travel, I always lookup mobile plans for travellers because it just takes some friction out of the adventure. And of course, being even more connected to you, gentle reader, is an added bonus.
Here are some stories from my past where being connected has helped immeasurably, and a few others where having that connection could have got me out of a bind quickly.
Stuck in Amsterdam from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption
Regular readers of this site (hi mum!) will recall that in 2010 I spent 6 months in England, coming and going from mainland Europe most weekends in between university classes. At the end of the April “spring break” I was in Brussels capping off a successful month of exploring the continent. The day before I was due to leave (a Saturday) this volcano in Iceland began spewing lava and ash into the sky, grounding millions of passengers all across Europe.
My flight was cancelled and I began coming up with alternatives. Bus and train fares back to England both skyrocketed above €200 very quickly. 4 days in Brussels was plenty so I decided I would relocate to Amsterdam to wait until the clouds lifted. As the week went on I was becoming increasingly concerned about not making it home in time to get my Saturday morning flight to Istanbul for ANZAC day at Gallipoli. In the end, I had 4 unexpected days in Amsterdam and I made it home on Thursday night, just in time.
Each day was a different solution and I was in constant contact with my folks back home who had better media coverage than me and also better connectivity than me. Being 2010, wifi and data roaming wasn’t as prolific as it was now so the hostel I was staying at only gave out (free) wifi passwords one hour at a time.
If I’d had a mobile SIM in my phone it would have been so much easier to text with them or even receive calls (no way in hell I was going to be paying the international fees!), not to mention the contact I had to have with my travel agent in rebooking me on another flight.
Thankfully the hostel I was in was super chilled and I was still able to relax.
Overseas friends visiting Australia
This story isn’t actually about me as such. Last year a friend visited me from Chicago. This is a friend who I met in England and lives in Chicago. Every couple of years we try and catch up somewhere, this year she came to me and visited her Aussie friends.
Australia is notorious for being behind in terms of telecommunications services by world standards. Our internet sucks and you really can’t rely on free Wifi being available at every cafe and hotel. But our mobile network is actually very good. For this reason my friend got a SIM card and it was really handy being able to coordinate for the month she was here like any local friend.
If you don’t really need to call or text anyone, you can opt for a data only SIM, which will probably be cheaper. And if you do, there is always services like WhatsApp or Skype that can call landlines and mobiles that use mobile broadband.
One good option is amaysim, whose plans are good value and really simple. This simplifies the decision-making process, allowing you to spend less time choosing and more time drinking beer. Which we did!
Stuck in Brussels Airport
A few months after the volcano escapade, I was travelling from Cairo, Egypt to Pamplona, Spain for the Running of the Bulls. I had to fly to Barcelona, but since there are no direct flights I changed in Brussels. However, to keep the cost down, I worked out it was cheaper to book two separate flights rather than one indirect flight. As is normal I booked the flights for the same date. It was an evening flight from Cairo. I’d have about 8 hours in Brussels airport overnight then an early morning flight back out to Barcelona.
Upon arriving in Brussels, the lady at the check-in counter told me I did not have a booking on this flight. Confused, I took out my booking confirmation to prove that I did have a booking, whereupon she kindly pointed out that my booking was yesterday morning. I had failed to take into account the new date for my connecting flight as it was the next day. Damn.
Did I mention I was on a budget? And did I mention that this was the end of 6 months of spending, budgeted perfectly to leave me with mere dollars at the end. I did not have room for unexpected expenditures.
A mobile SIM would have been real handy now because at this stage I had to take out a small loan from the Bank of Mum and Dad. Somehow I found a phone, borrowed $500 and I did eventually make it onto that flight.
Rendezvous problems in Spain
Once in Barcelona, my initial plan was to meet up with some mates there and then all drive out to Pamplona together. However, their plans changed and they decided to get there early.
We were messaging on Facebook but wifi was hard to come by in the south of Egypt, and presumably in Spain as well so it was hard to get the full story and make a plan b. I booked a bus from Barcelona to Pamplona (there’s another story there!) and told my mates when and where to pick me up. In a bus station somewhere outside the Pamplona city.
Bear in mind, I’d arranged nothing for this part of the trip. They knew where we were staying, they had the transport, and they knew their way around Pamplona. When I arrived they were nowhere to be seen.
To make matters worse, my bag wasn’t on the bus. I was getting stressed.
Maybe the bus was early, or maybe I gave the wrong time, or maybe there was just a really good happy hour special on somewhere. Whatever the reason, after an eternal 30-minute wait in a dodgy looking underground parking lot, my buddies mercifully arrived.
A simple call to make plans, then a text when I was approaching Pamplona would have removed all anxiety. (And if I’d spoken any Spanish, I would have gotten back on the right bus at the rest stop midway!)
Sick son in Bali
Last year my family went to Bali for 2 weeks. We hit some great spots including Nusa Lembongan, Uluwatu, Ubud and Seminyak. Near the start my son came down with a cough and we had no medicine for him. We went to pharmacies in each of these places plus a GP in Seminyak and the hospital in Kuta.
The language barrier was obviously a hurdle but communication back home was also difficult. I was sending messages to my mum who was relaying them to her friend who is a doctor who was recommending medicine. Being restricted to Bali’s wifi, especially while out at the pharmacy or hospital made this really difficult. To just jump on the phone at a moment’s notice would have made it so much easier.
And it didn’t help either that we were constantly being upsold products we didn’t need! That’s just an aside if you need to buy anything in an Indonesian pharmacy.
Road Tripping in New Zealand
A road trip is a time when having wireless internet or a local SIM card is actually really handy. Social media aside, in NZ I would have been so lost without my phone. Not because I crave just one more thumb flick, but it was so handy being able to look up RV parks or campsites on the way and book a place by phone.
Of course, being able to do on-the-go research is also useful as well. Because when you’re only spending one night in each place, it’s not very practical to do 3 weeks worth of travel research before you arrive.
I guess on the plus side, all these moments of confusion from lack of communication have created some pretty good stories!
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