E-mail and Travel
Chapter 15 : E-Mail: A Travel
Necessity
Libraries in the United States all have internet access now.
When traveling the country, we used to often stop in small towns
to use this free service. We checked e-mail and even checked
our bank accounts. It is even easier to just carry a small laptop
now, since most hotels have free internet service.
In other countries, finding internet access is even easier.
When computers are too expensive for most people, there's demand
for cheap internet access. The result is that, in many places,
there's an internet cafe on almost every corner. A dollar per
hour is not uncommon.
Hotmail and Yahoo still offer free e-mail accounts. Sign up
now, if you haven't already. Then, wherever you are in the world,
your friends and family have a way to contact you and you have
a way to contact them. For some reason, even though the internet
largely operates by way of the same phone lines, it's more reliable
than phone service in many countries.
Using Regular Mail When Traveling
To use the Post Office when you travel, pre-address and stamp
your envelopes if you'll be writing family, friends, or whoever.
Usually, it's easy to find a mail box, but a hassle to find stamps
and envelopes.
When you need something sent to you while on a trip (in the
U.S.) have it addressed to your name, then "general delivery,"
and the city and zip code where you'll be in a few days. The
package should be waiting at the post office when you arrive.
E-Mail Important Documents To Yourself
E-mail a list of important information and numbers to yourself.
Include the number to call if your credit card is stolen, and
the number of the U.S. Embassy where you'll be. Think about what
information you would need or want if you lost your luggage and
wallet and everything else. This will give you an idea of what
to send to yourself.
E-mail yourself a copy of your passport. Include other important
documents. For example, you might even want to email yourself
a photocopy of your drivers license. When you need these things,
they'll be available in any internet cafe in the world.
Travelers never think that they are the foreigners.
- Mason Cooley
Continue with Chapter 16 here: Hiding
Money
Note: This chapter on e-mail and travel was part of
the e-book Travel Secrets. Now all chapters are free on
this site. See the homepage (the link is at the bottom of this
page) for a list of all chapters and links to them.
|
