Cellphones

I must have spent 100 hours researching cellphones. Since we are going to so many countries it is not viable to buy local SIM cards as we go. So I've been looking at cells with best coverage and international roaming rates, cells for data only (email and internet access), and cells for emergencies only. All the options open seem clunky or way too expensive. The best I found was with Truphone where you can get a Truphone SIM with Local Anywhere that allows you to make local calls from hundreds of countries over VOIP for super cheap. The only catch is that it's not launching until later in the year.

So I think we have decided to forego the cell and travel the old fashioned way: with a guide book, our intuition, and the occasional germ infested pay phone.

We are still considering a phone just for emergencies which you can get for 50 bucks from recommended travel sites like Mobal. But is it worth it? Will you have coverage when you need it? And who you gonna call when you are lost in the Himalayas? Ghostbusters, that's who.

We are also going to do what was unthinkable a few months ago. And that is to cancel our current cell accounts at Verizon vs. keeping open a pay-as-you-go option that would cost about $120/each for the year we are away.

Ok, I've decided and Ron is not convinced since he has a lot of clients with his cell #. But what are the chances we come back and live in SF and he decides to continue restoration? At this point we think we may move from the Bay Area to a smaller town. Somewhere a little less hectic. Where we can buy a reasonably priced house with a wrap-around porch. And you don't have to wait in line in your car for 20 minutes to enter the parking lot at Trader Joe's, then wait for a parking spot, then wait your turn in the bread aisle, then wait in line to pay. I hate waiting to wait.