It’s good to talk

I’m a nerdy geek at heart. These days that’s actually a badge of honour but it wasn’t always so. So when I decided to go wandering, I needed to find a way to stay in touch as economically as possible.

For a long time you only had 3 main options; get a roaming plan from a mobile company (often expensive),  get a local SIM  (hope it worked in your phone which it often didn’t) or get a pay as you go phone in the country you were visiting.

Back in the US I was on Verizon for years. We had a corporate account and got the “most amazing rates”. I was assured on many occasions that we had a great deal and should be very happy. I assume that every salesman / account manager ever born learns those lines in the womb.

So why when I was travelling was I paying more? $10 a day for data, extra for texts, more when I had the audacity to use the phone to make a call (does anyone even talk on the phone these days?).

It didn’t seem right, so I did a little research. And I found what looks like a better deal (at least if you are travelling outside the US a lot). Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not a silver bullet and it’s early days, but so far Google’s Project Fi has come through.

Pros (so far):

  • No contract. You can cancel it when you want.
  • Unlocked phones.
  • $20 / month for unlimited voice & SMS in the US, and free SMS in Costa Rica (see below). Also free calls to the US when connected to wi-fi.
  • $10/GB for data. And what you don’t use gets refunded (in 100MB increments).
  • Tight integration to Google services like Gmail etc (which can be a con for some :))
  • Solid data / voice coverage (LTE everywhere in the Alajuela area for me so far).
  • Can get it as just a SIM data service (for your laptop / iPad if it has a SIM slot).

Cons (so far):

  • Limited devices; only supports the Nexus 5 and 6P or the Google Pixel devices (which are apparently very good). Note I’ve found my Nexus 6P to be as functional as my iPhone 6, and yes Android isn’t IOS, but if I can change salsa, I can change phones (More on my salsa exploits later). I got it for a good price / great condition on eBay so I’m a happy camper.
  • No unlimited data plan. If you are a heavy user then you will pay for the data you use, and if you are travelling for limited periods and spending most of your time in the US you will need to do the math when compared to unlimited data from the competitors.
  • Lost my Google Voice number. If you move a number from another network. For some this is moot, but I used it for other projects. Luckily it was limited but if you are a heavy Google voice user and also want your current number ported you may need to consider which account you use for Fi.

And the Fi service itself? Simply put it works. When I arrived at San José airport (Juan Santamaría International Airport to be absolutely correct) it sprung to life and gave me some good news:

Yes you read that correctly. Same price for data as when I’m in the US (which includes data tethering my laptop, iPad etc to use the Fi internet connection if needed). Same free text messages. And a reasonable 20c a minute for calls (ok, I’d like it to be the same free cost in the US but such is life, and if I call while on wifi it is still free to the US). So far I’ve had high speed data everywhere I go and voice has been good. It’s been a godsend for GPS (as navigating in Costa Rica is an experience) and kept me in constant touch with loved ones and friends through WhatsApp. I’ll write some more about Fi as I use it here in Costa Rica and in my travels, but as of today the bill for my first month is $48 (I used nearly 2GB of data when off wifi). Total. That’s not bad.

Google haven’t paid a cent for this post but I like the service so much I recommend it. If you are interested (and it works in 135 countries apparently) they run a referral program that gets us both a $20 credit after the first 30 days of your new service. Details here

LPTV!

Gary

Craning your neck

Are you one of those people who cranes their neck to look out of the window of a plane when it takes off and lands? I am.

Must just be my natural curiosity I guess. After spending most of my adult life travelling for work, you’d think I’d have “seen it all”. But life is unpredictable. You just never know what you might see if you just crane your neck a little.

I guess I’m unpredictable too. Quitting a 26 year-long highly successful career, leaving behind my rather cute lakeside apartment in Chicago, which I’d spent a lot of effort on turning into a home (the Feng-Shui research alone was exhausting!) and most of all leaving behind family, loved ones and friends (who had already put up with me relocating from the UK to the US) was a big change.

And the destination? Costa Rica. Bit of clichéd mid-life crisis me thinks.

But wait. I’d always been the planner (ask anyone who worked for me). Considered. Researched. Broken down and built back up in an order of my own design.

So what on earth was I thinking upping sticks and moving to Central America? Guess that’s one for another days post.

But now as I looked out of the window of the United flight from O’Hare, I was more struck by the fact that although I’d seen this before, the view had filled me with a little joy and wonder. And a little joy and wonder is a good thing these days.

As I leant back so the chap sitting next to me could get a view, he smiled and looked at me “Have to stretch to see it, but its worth the effort isn’t it!”.

I believe it is.

LTPV!

Gary