Category: Travel tips and follies

Tips for longer stays abroad (based on what I’ve done wrong)’

by Tracy, posted in Travel tips and follies

Get a local SIM card or cheap local phone

In Cambodia I had a cheap local phone but I did not get very good at using it. I was able to do some texting and make a few calls, but I stayed too dependant on my home cell phone/SIM. This prevented me from communicating more with my local friends and I see it now as a bit arrogant

I have now started a collection of SIM cards. I have my Canadian number, Zimbabwe and now Uganda. I swear if I am going to spend more than 2 weeks in any country I will just get a SIM. Heck I may end up doing it for less time depending on the rates in the country.

I just swap back to my home SIM card when I need to check out my Canadian voice mail or deal with things at home.
Do not assume Wi-Fi access or data availability

In Cambodia, unlimited data was a thing. My Airbnb host provided Wi-Fi and I streamed shows all the time. Sometimes connectivity was not great since it was the start of the rainy season, but the actual data usage was not a concern. Also, basically every restaurant I went to had Wi-Fi and posted the password for patrons to see and use.

In Zimbabwe, Wi-Fi is available publicly and data is available in bundles for home wifi or your local SIM. It isn’t expensive – 30gb passes can be purchased for $25USD but when I ran the data out where I was staying, Wi-Fi was just gone. Bundles are readily available and reloading is fairly simple.

In Uganda the Wi-Fi bundles are reasonably priced (caveat, I’m Canadian so I have been gouged for all mobile and internet usage forever. It is possible that what is reasonable to me may seem expensive to you) I have a 10gb monthly plan for my phone for 120,000 UGX (approximately $34 USD, $45 CAD). I may have made a mistake on my home internet. I purchased the Premium Unlimited plan for 330,000 UGX ($92USD, $124 CAD) – I checked the conversion too late for that one. I have an allowance for Internet and phone for $100 USD per month, so I am spending slightly over that. My internet is indeed unlimited but it throttles back to 256kps after 3GB of use each day. Back up the next morning though. It was nice for this privileged Canadian chick to do some Netflixing yesterday.

Investigate the electrical power situation – infrastructure quality and outages

This was especially a factor in Zimbabwe because of the time of my stay. It is the start of the rainy season – apparently that’s when I go to countries – and the local people told me power outages are common for that time of the year. The country’s infrastructure is aging which means that extreme rain and/or winds can have dramatic impact.

Soon after I arrived much of Harare was without power for two full days, on and off, mostly off. In many of the more well to do areas citizens have backup generators or solar inverters to keep them powered up during outages. My work also used generator power for much of those two days. As for me, I was in blackout from the time I got home from work Wednesday afternoon until I was back to work Thursday. Power was restored around midday. There is a solar inverter where I stayed but it was being repaired at the time. It wasn’t really a hardship but I could have been better prepared intellectually for the experience.

For my apartment in Uganda I have prepaid power which is an entirely new concept to me. And I ran out of power my first night because I didn’t talk to my building manager more clearly about the whole process. I am now up and running with power and will be tracking it to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Power outages here are less frequent than my time in Zimbabwe but definitely more frequent than home. *written after only one week in the country*
Toiletries – bring anything truly important to you

I was proactive on this for all trips but for Zimbabwe I missed two items that I rely on almost daily. I actually started getting them ready at home for the trip but didn’t follow through. The first item is Q-tips. The name brand. I use them daily as ear towels, to help with makeup mishaps and a multitude of other little things that pop up. I put my travel bag of Q-tips in the bathroom to reload and then forgot about it until I was unpacking. I found something there but they do not compare and my host Debbie told that once she used them and the cotton came off in her ear!! I had no such mishaps but really missed my Q-tips.

The second item is a nail clipper! I grabbed my manicure set but didn’t open until I was here. No clipper. And the worst nail scissors ever! It broke before week one was finished. I eventually found a clipper hiding in the depths of my bag and I found a variety in the pharmacy, phew!

I have a skin reaction to perfumed lotion, so I brought my own. I also have my preferred shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste.

If it matters greatly to you, bring it along.

Another item that is scarce in Zimbabwe but was readily available in Phnom Pehn is pain medication. I was recovering from a pinched neck nerve when I left home and brought a large bottle of both acetaminophen and ibuprofen. I’m glad I did because finding pain meds in Zimbabwe is no easy feat.

Added to my list now – laxative, monostat (for the ladies, I haven’t needed this in years but realized I would not want to be anywhere needing this item and not be able to get it!) I have cold medication and allergy medication (I don’t have allergies but they can pop up any time in life). Yeah, I’m carrying too much but since I am living here I don’t mind using the extra space.
Be humble and kind

I have done some dumb things while travelling, like dropping my cell phone or taking a wrong turn and getting a bit lost (not at night or in a dangerous area). I have found that local people are very helpful when I smile and speak politely. I do not assume they owe me any assistance or that I have any rank or importance above their own. I am actually uncomfortable if I am deferred to because of my status as a foreigner or tourist. Or perceived American identity.
Share about where you are from to all who are curious

I enjoy when people what to know about Canada. Or the US, so far as I an speak for it. I especially like to show pictures of moose and am happy to discuss how cold it gets, how long winter lasts, how far the drive is to my home town and how long it takes. It is always entertaining to see the faces of people who live near the equator when I explain that in the summer it is light until 11pm! The sun is down earlier, I say, but it does not get dark until really late.

I don’t mean be naïve and over-share. There will always be people ready to take advantage of others, especially ‘rich’ tourists. So I exercise caution but do not let it sour me to being open, honest and caring.
Think about your wardrobe but don’t overthink it

Still be you. I over-relied on internet guidance for my first two trips and felt silly for some of it – like not bringing black t-shirts to Zimbabwe because black attracts certain insects. I was in the city! People wear black all the time and most of my favourite t-shirts are black! So to Uganda I brought what I wanted while keeping the climate and cultural realities in mind, such as making sure my dresses are not shorter than just above the knee.

Part of being me – yellow rubber boots for Victoria 😊

I am sure I will come up with more tips as I am positive that I will be making more mistakes! Also, I will be making a separate post on currency and mobile money because I want to do some research and make it more useful. Thank you and have a blessed day!!

How to Dig Yourself into a Technology Hole 101

by Tracy, posted in Travel tips and follies, Zimbabwe

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Or Naive Spoiled Canadian Girl Abroad

It has been a humbling few days for me, as my carelessness and ignorance have reached seemingly new heights.  Here is my story.  Feel free to laugh out loud.  I’m sure I am too, because if you are reading this, I am back online.  *it’s a long one

Part 1 – the cell phone

There were some serious power outages last week (October 15-17) so I made sure to charge up my devices at work on Thursday October 18th.  I was pretty proud of my forward thinking, knowing that I would be able to read my ebooks, use my laptop and have a reliable flashlight on my phone.  Well, when I got home and opened up my backpack and purse I saw that I did not have my phone.  I laughed off my carelessness for leaving it on my desk after charging it.  I even sent a quick email to some coworkers admitting that I left it on my desk.

Then, Friday morning I was standing outside the gate chatting with my neighbour Noreen (the lovely lady next door I have been talking with each morning while waiting for my ride) when a fellow who works for another neighbour, Gary, stopped to ask if I had dropped anything last night.  I said “my cell phone! I thought I left it on my desk!”.  Gary then informed me that a fellow worker had found it on the drive just outside the gate.  Ugh!  And he had not left the phone with Gary, but took it with him for safe keeping.  He and Gary discussed that he would wait until I called him and then we would arrange to get the phone to me.

There are two kickers here:

  • this fellow lives in a rural community more than 40kms from Harare and he would be off work and home until the following Thursday – yes a whole week!
  • I keep my phone on silent so how would he know I was calling unless it was in his hand so he could see it light up.

I guess there is a third kicker – the current economic climate in Zimbabwe makes getting fuel for your vehicle quite a difficult and lengthy process.  Enticing him into the city would take some US dollars – at least that I have!

Friday morning at work my colleague Claperton was able to reach the fellow.  He called a couple of times to no avail, but then the man called his number back.  Success! The phone was located, I had the number of the man with the phone and thought we had arranged for him to bring it to me Saturday.  I said I would give $20US for gas, but then decided I would do $30 instead.

  • Saturday – no phone.   Sunday morning I figured out the landline situation where I am staying.  That’s a bit of a tale itself involving moving one phone set to another phone jack and experimenting a bit.  I used the landline and was able to contact the fellow who found it.  It was difficult speaking with him.  He speaks English well, but he speaks quickly and I have an entirely different accent, resulting in me asking him to repeat himself a lot.  He wanted to text me when he got to the city but I only had a land line.   I was saved by Fran, a friend of a friend of mine in Canada. Fran was able to arrange a meetup with the man with my phone and she also got me there!  I learned the man is Tandy and he works at one of the neighbouring houses.  A huge thank you to Tandy and his wife for returning my phone instead of keeping it or selling it.

Part 2 – the internet

Disclaimer: I come from the land of unlimited data.  I restrict my data usage when I am told, but my host and I did not have any conversation about data limits.  I discovered too late that it is noted on the Airbnb house manual, so it is my bad.

Saturday, while waiting for my phone, I decided to catch up on two of my shows and ended up successfully streaming four episodes in total.  Yes, there was enough data for me to stream 4 entire episodes.  But then I had NO Wi-fi.  Nada! Given the aforementioned power outages, I assumed that the internet was just down even though the router was on.  Hey, it happens sometimes back home…. Sunday morning I figured out what I had done.

A few problems:

  • I had not yet figured out the landline situation.  It is why I figured it out. I found a phone attached to the wall but it wouldn’t let me call anything.  It had a very odd dial tone and was just useless.  See the photo for the age of the technology.  At least it isn’t a rotary phone!
  • I had no phone to access mobile data, to contact my travelling host or to access my emergency contacts which I keep in a Samsung note on my phone. (That shortsightedness is now being corrected btw)

I got over my helpless mind set and began problem solving.

  • I moved the phone to the phone line by the router and success! I could call out.  I tried calling my host but her phone must be off.
  • I called the internet provider hoping to top up with my credit card. I wasn’t optimistic because I don’t have the account information but I learned what to do.  I just need to get to an outlet that sells data PINs.  *I did’t have to do this. Debbie, my exceedingly accommodating host upgraded the internet and now I am all good*

I typed this while I had no internet, no cell phone, no transportation and limited contacts.  I was safe though.  I could go next door and reach out to Noreen and her husband Adrian.  I could bother Pardon, the gardener who lives on the property.  I could dial Fran incessantly until she picks up.  And I am in a safe neighbourhood.  Some embassy people live here.  I have seen armed guards patrolling the area.  The golden retriever Bronxie for company. I also have digital tv, enough to eat, a pool, and a beautiful property to enjoy.

Now all is well.  I have been taken care of my some lovely ladies in Zimbabwe – Debbie, Fran and Tandy’s wife (and Tandy of course).  I will keep my phone close, stop streaming and abusing Wi-fi data and live just slightly more modestly (reasonably?) than my spoiled North American self is accustomed to at home.

The phone that saved me: Old reliable