aka Flying Blind

I just wanted to share a quick note on the role of the technology in my Odyssey.

In a nutshell, tech was almost non-existent. At the time I felt lucky to have an iPhone 4, but to this day I rue the fact that I didn’t buy myself a decent camera. I didn’t even know about the ability to “unlock” your phone once it was paid off (this was an era of a free phone for enrolling in a multi-year phone plan with a carrier such as AT&T). To that end, I could take marginal photos but I didn’t have access to google maps, or any other navigational tools unless I was at a café, hotel, or restaurant that provided wi-fi.

How did I manage? In truth, I got lost, a lot. I didn’t even have a proper map until I hit San Cristobal de las Casas. That map covered Mexico and Central America and it was so detailed and dense that it was impossible to use. But I did have three guide books: Mexico, Central America, and South America. I actually had dreams of crossing into South America but the process proved too daunting. Panama and Colombia are separated by the Darién Gap, which is unpassable via car. One must arrange a container space and ship one’s car by sea from Panama to Columbia. Even if the roads were passable, it is one of the most dangerous areas of the region. Today, many migrants are attempting to cross the Darién Gap in an attempt to reach the USA, many are dying. If you are interested in learning more about the Darien Gap, here are two articles you might find interesting: Human Rights Watch and Rueters

My guide books had larger area maps and smaller town maps and that is how I negotiated my entire trip. In truth, it was a game of lost and found and I was generally lost. I asked many people along the way how to get to so-and-so location. It was a great way to meet people and to traverse the region. I still have my well-loved, dog-eared guide books somewhere in storage, and they are chock-a-block full of notes, flyers, receipts, and other memorabilia.

On one of my first days in Guatemala I found a cell phone store with an English-speaking owner. It was there I learned how to unlock my phone purchase a chip with a new, local phone number and a plan that included a certain amount of data. As I can be a bit lazy, it was easier to continue my Odyssey in my quirky old-fashioned way.

Today it is much easier, and I know so much more! I no longer have need of an American phone plan. I pay roughly $10.00 USD/month for my Mexican service which includes unlimited calls to the USA, Mexico, and Canada; unlimited social media including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp; I have a limited amount of data, but for an additional $5-15.00 USD I could easily bump the data up. If I were to do the adventure again, I would stop at the first cell store in each country and buy myself a new local chip so I would have access to google maps for my entire trip. Or maybe I wouldn’t!

As it was, I was flying blind, and it was awesome!