Today we finally bought a Costa Rican cell phone. We had been thinking about this for days. We can't use our iPhones here, and renting a cell phone appeared to be too expensive. (We had heard that renting a cell phone would cost $7-10 a day.) But somehow, buying an inexpensive phone with a prepaid SIM card could be well within our reach.
A couple of days ago, we had checked out a couple of stores and had done some pricing, and today we went back to the one that seemed to offer the best deal. The store is called Nanda and is located near the AutoMercado (supermarket) in the Pacifico Plaza in El Coco.
In order to buy a cell phone in Costa Rica, you have to show your passport or other official ID. The first time we approached a store to by a phone, neither of us had a passport with us. This time, both of us did.
The saleswoman spoke almost no English, and she and Bob negotiated this purchase. The phone she recommended was the brand, Unnecto, and was the least expensive in that line. It comes with a SIM card for 120 minutes, and is active for three months. Although we could keep the phone and buy a new SIM card, it is really intended to be a disposable phone. Despite this, the phone does seem to have a number of other usable features, including text messaging, GPS, music reception, and use as a flashlight. All this for $34 - what a bargain!
Bob asks, "How would we ever use up 120 minutes on this phone while we are here (for a total of eight more weeks)?" Well, who knows? I imagine we will call for taxis, make reservations for dining, hotels, tours, etc., and maybe even call new friends in this country whom we haven't even met yet - not to mention helping us in an emergency situation. We will see how this turns out. Stay tuned.
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment