In many places you travel, picking up a cell phone with prepaid minutes or an international SIM card is simple and reasonably cheap. Unfortunately for me, Costa Rica does not fit in this boat. I’ve heard mixed opinions about how hard it is to get a cell phone. The consensus is that you can get one fairly easily if you’re willing to pay up and have a Tico friend to help you out (only residents can get phone numbers). Since I’m only here for three months, I don’t really want to pay up or deal with the waiting list for a number (which ranges from two to six weeks long depending who you ask).
Instead I’m relearning how to live without a cell phone. Overall, it’s been easier than I thought. I have to make plans and stick to them. There is no calling a friend to say “Actually I’m going to be 30 minutes late” or to ask “Where is your office again?” The Ticos definitely make it easier, too. They seem more accustomed to people not having phones. For the most part, people show up where and when I’m expecting them, though to be honest I never really know what time it is, so it’s hard to tell if people are on time. I got a watch after I realized I wasn’t going to get a phone, but the battery died three days later and I gave up.
In the end, I’m actually kind of enjoying not having a cell phone. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be glad to have one again. But for a few months, it’s a nice break. It slows everything down a little and forces me to prioritize my plans in a different way. So if you end up without a cell phone because of regulations or lack of service, embrace it. It’s really not so bad.
Meg Gray is currently working as a Kiva Fellow with Kiva.org partner Fundación Mujer in San Jose, Costa Rica. Learn more by following her or La Vida Idealist on Twitter.
Latest posts by mgray2noti
- Back in the USA - April 26th, 2010
- That is Not the Costa Rica I Know - April 14th, 2010
- Reading List - April 8th, 2010
- Volunteering Does Not Equal Vacation - March 31st, 2010
- Things I Never Thought I Would Do At Work - March 24th, 2010
- La Lucha Para Ejercicio - March 18th, 2010
- When Body Language Goes Too Far - March 10th, 2010
- My Hips Just Don't Move Like That - March 3rd, 2010
- Safety Versus Freedom - February 17th, 2010
- Day in the Life: Elections in a Foreign Land - February 10th, 2010
