Have you ever wondered if the expat life is as glamorous as it sounds or if it's just a series of unexpected trials? Rita and I are here to give you the unvarnished truth, sharing our latest escapades in Panama, where the beauty of Playa Coronado meets the frustration of a broken air conditioner. It's a tale of resilience, as we balance the arduous process of selling our home back in the States with the daily grind of making it in a foreign land. Strap in for a candid recount of our Airbnb mishaps and triumphs that might just have you questioning our sanity.
But it's not all about the struggles; there's a silver lining in the form of travel tech that's changing the game for nomads like us. Imagine seamlessly hopping from country to country, staying connected without a hitch – that's the magic of eSIMs. In this episode, we also explore the communication lifeline that is WhatsApp, and I'll let you in on the most effective travel apps that have revolutionized our journeys. From deciphering foreign menus with Google Translate's camera to savvy booking hacks that save us time and money, these tools have become essential in our travel toolkit. Tune in and elevate your travel savvy to pro level with our hard-earned insights.
Have you ever wondered if the expat life is as glamorous as it sounds or if it's just a series of unexpected trials? Rita and I are here to give you the unvarnished truth, sharing our latest escapades in Panama, where the beauty of Playa Coronado meets the frustration of a broken air conditioner. It's a tale of resilience, as we balance the arduous process of selling our home back in the States with the daily grind of making it in a foreign land. Strap in for a candid recount of our Airbnb mishaps and triumphs that might just have you questioning our sanity.
But it's not all about the struggles; there's a silver lining in the form of travel tech that's changing the game for nomads like us. Imagine seamlessly hopping from country to country, staying connected without a hitch – that's the magic of eSIMs. In this episode, we also explore the communication lifeline that is WhatsApp, and I'll let you in on the most effective travel apps that have revolutionized our journeys. From deciphering foreign menus with Google Translate's camera to savvy booking hacks that save us time and money, these tools have become essential in our travel toolkit. Tune in and elevate your travel savvy to pro level with our hard-earned insights.
Welcome to Travels with Jim and Rita. I'm your host, jim Santos, and in this podcast series you can follow along as my wife Rita and I work out our crazy plan to outfox the real estate market in the US and actually increase our retirement nest egg by spending the next three years or so living abroad and exploring the world. Are we bold, forward thinking pioneers or just plain nuts? Let's find out together, shall we? Greetings everyone and welcome once again to the Travels with Jim and Rita podcast. I'd like to start by once again thanking you, the listeners, for your support, although this is only our fifth episode. I've received a notice that the podcast now has more downloads than 75% of all podcasts, putting us in the top 25%. Now, granted, there are currently about 4.25 million podcasts out there, so optimistically, we're in the top million or so. But hey, it's my ego trip and I'm going with it. A quick update on our time here in Panama and our progress towards our goal of making the world our home for the next few years.
Jim Santos:
Here in Panama, we're enjoying our stay in Playa Coronado after a shaky start. The Airbnb we're in is nice, with a great view of the ocean and the mountains, but the day we arrived, we were informed that the water was off in the building. No big deal. We just went out to a local restaurant for an early dinner and when we returned the water was back on. The trouble started the next day when we found that the air conditioning unit in the second bedroom was just blowing warm air. This was kind of a big deal, since we were paying for a two bedroom unit so I would have room where I could shut off to write and be able to do voiceover work, not to mention things like recording this podcast. I'm going to get into a little detail here, because this is the kind of thing you have to be prepared to deal with when you travel to other countries. I reported it to management but with it being Saturday, I understood we probably would not see anyone to help until Monday. We were in fact told someone would be by Monday, so we darted out quickly to get some fresh fish and shrimp and resigned ourselves to waiting for the tech for the rest of the day. While we waited, we noticed that now the AC in the living room was starting to drip water, so we reported that as well. About 4.30, we were told. So sorry, he can't make it today? How about mañana at 8am? Now, one thing we learned living in Ecuador for six years is that mañana doesn't necessarily mean tomorrow, it just means not today. Nevertheless, we said, yes, we will be here for him.
Jim Santos:
The tech did show up about 10.30am, which is practically 8. He made a big production out of cleaning the living room unit and told us that it was fixed. He then went out and looked at the compressor and told us it needed freon, but he had to wait for approval from the owner. So we stayed in the rest of the day waiting, only to hear from a second tech that the problem was the compressor had corroded so much it wouldn't hold the freon, so he was waiting for approval to replace the unit. It was also about this time that the living room unit started leaking water down the wall again, this time more than before.
Jim Santos:
New story for management now two techs would be out on Wednesday at 11am and they would fix everything Once more. We agreed to hang around waiting for a repairman On Wednesday at 11am. Of course, we were told they would arrive at 1am and they arrived at 1.30am. So situation normal. They looked at the living room unit first said the drain tube was not inserted all the way. They fixed that and well again, pronounced it cured. They then went out to load freon and the other compressor. I said I thought it was corroded and wouldn't hold the gas, but they seemed not to understand what I was saying and did it anyway. Good news the second bedroom unit was now blowing cold air. Bad news the living room unit was leaking water again. Ok, so they take it apart one more time. This time really push in the drain tube and once again tell us that it's fixed. Naturally, about 2 hours after they left, water started leaking out once again.
Jim Santos:
Now, at this point I got on Airbnb and contacted the owner directly, giving her the whole story and explaining that this was unacceptable to have non-working AC units when the days are in the mid to upper 80s and one side of our apartment gets the sun for 6 to 7 hours a day. Big bru, haha. Much apologizing, assurances this has never happened before and promises to get new techs out. You guessed it mañana. I ask that they please send actual AC techs, not just someone with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. So finally, after spending 4 of our first 6 days at the beach waiting for repairmen, two techs arrive to completely replace the drain hose. It's been a week now with no more waterfalls. The unit in my makeshift office recording studio also continues to blow cold air, but I'm trying to use it as little as possible, since I don't have a lot of confidence in it at this point, and this just in. I may have to be using it more than I wanted to, because today the living room unit, while still not dripping water, is also now blowing warm air, so it looks like another visit by the Freon ferry is necessary.
Jim Santos:
The moral of this story Well, we found that generally, our air bnb fines have been pretty decent. However, you should be prepared for things to go wrong, and it's important to keep patient and maintain your cool even when the problem is no cooling. Now, as for our progress with preparing for slow travel, news there as well, we did have another showing of our house on Super Bowl Sunday, no less, and it was clear that they really liked the place, especially my kitchen, so we're waiting to see if we get an offer. Just got word today of another showing scheduled, so we may have some news by the next episode. So on to today's topic technology for travel.
Jim Santos:
Travel has become easier than ever before, and the internet and smartphones have had a lot to do with that. Your smartphone can be a valuable tool, but its value is limited if you cannot get to the internet, so let's start our list of tech tools with communication aids. By the way, the names of apps and any websites I discuss can be found in the transcript section of our podcast website, the basic communication. Let's start with the basics. You want to be able to send and receive phone calls wherever you are, and you also want to be able to connect to the internet for data. The best way we have found to do this involves using eSims on your phone. This is an embedded SIM. Most phones less than 5 years old will be able to use them. On an iPhone, you go to Settings General About, and look for an IMEI number in the Digital SIM section. On Android phones, go to Settings About Status and Info, and steps may differ depending on your phone, but you want to look for an EID number. If you have those, then you should be OK. Next, your phone needs to be Unlocked. This means your current provider also allows you to use SIMs from other services. Contact your provider and ask if your phone is currently unlocked and, if not, you can request it and they should be able to unlock it for you. Lastly, check to make sure your provider allows for cellular data switching. I was recently burned by Mint Mobile, which you can read about on my blog, when I only discovered on Arrival in Panama that they do not allow this feature. This is what allows you to keep your US number and use a different SIM for data.
Jim Santos:
E-sims also are not physical cards. They are installed wirelessly and easily via the internet and activated by you when you arrive in the new service area. To use your phone overseas, you want to first keep your US plan and your US phone number. You already have either a SIM card or an eSIM for this. Now there are several websites where you can search for eSIMs for your destination. We use AeroLo, a-i-r-a-l-o, but there's also a HoloFly, ubigi and several others. We can usually find an eSIM for around 20 bucks a month. That gives us plenty of data. These are pay-as-you-go and can be deactivated and saved in case you return to that region someday.
Jim Santos:
Now here's the advantage it used to be we would arrive in Ecuador and physically swap out our US SIM for an Ecuador SIM. This works, but your phone number changes. Now you can no longer get calls or texts to your US number when you return to the US. You have to swap back, and now anyone calling your Ecuador number cannot get through. The beauty of eSIMs and cellular data switching is that you keep your US SIM in place and active. Just activate your eSIM when you arrive in your new home. The eSIM will allow you to get data on the local cell networks and you will still be able to send receive calls and texts using your US number. Most phones will also handle up to 8 eSIMs, so it's really handy.
Jim Santos:
Working hand in hand with this method is an app that I and just about any other traveler will tell you that you should absolutely install right now to complete the transition, and that's the app called WhatsApp. Whatsapp should be set up before you leave the US using your US phone number. Be sure, and use the plus one, by the way, for your number, and also, in all your contacts, make sure you have the plus code for their respective countries. With WhatsApp, you can send and receive calls, chats, pictures and video to any other WhatsApp user anywhere in the world for absolutely no charge, if you have data or Wi-Fi access to the internet and if that person has WhatsApp on their phone as well. Now, it's been our experience that WhatsApp is pretty much essential for travel. People all around the world use it. Your drivers, airbnb host, etc. Will all expect you to be able to provide a WhatsApp number. The big issue here is that if you're using eSIMs, your WhatsApp number will still be that US number, so you can stay in constant contact no matter where you are. And remember that WhatsApp can only connect to other WhatsApp users. You'll still want to keep the setup I described, so you can still call businesses, doctors, offices and people who do not have WhatsApp on their systems.
Jim Santos:
A Language Help Another communication aid you should have is Google Translate. This will let you speak or type in what you want to say in English and then read or play it in the native language. The person you are talking to can also speak into your phone and you'll get it translated back to English. But what has been even more helpful for us is the Camera feature. You can point your camera at text and see a translation on your screen. This was especially helpful in places like Greece and Turkey, where the alphabet was completely different. It makes grocery shopping much easier when you can read the labels and we never would have been able to figure out our washing machine in Athens without this handy feature.
Jim Santos:
Getting Around, we found Uber to be available in quite a few countries. While you may sometimes have to pay a bit more and wait a bit longer, there's a big advantage in not having to dicker over the price and not having to take out your wallet or try to make change. Lyft L-Y-F-T is sometimes available as well, though it's not as prevalent as Uber. However, uber is not something you can rely on everywhere. For example, last month in Panama City, it was great. We could order a ride and have it show up in less than two minutes. I don't think we ever had to wait more than five minutes. But once we got out to the beach here in Playa Coronado, ubers are nowhere to be seen. Instead, we have to just wait at a cab stand and flag one down, whereas the Guardian at our condo entrance to call one for us.
Jim Santos:
It's worth doing a quick search for ride apps or taxi apps in your target country before you arrive. For example, in Turkey, an app called BitTaxi B-I-T-A-K-S-I had more drivers and better rates than using Uber. Also, search for public transport apps. Moveit M-O-O-V-I-T in Greece gave info on bus lines, and there was a Vienna Transport app that also let us buy our e-passes, and so on. We also found the app Omeo, O-M-I-O to be very useful. Using it, you can enter in your start and end points and get info and pricing on trains, buses and flights. You can then book your trip as well. Using Omeo was how we found our $18 train tickets from Vienna to Prague.
Jim Santos:
A word of advice for all of these apps, especially the ones that allow payment Setting them up before you need to use them, preferably while you are somewhere with Wi-Fi, is essential. Answering a series of questions and trying to enter in credit card information while you're standing on a street corner is not pleasant. Now there are those who swear by Expedia for hotels, rental cars and flights, and I agree it can be useful. However, I found that lately it seems like I can get a better deal on flights if I use Expedia to see who's going, where I want to go and then log on to the airline's website directly. Part of the problem is so many airlines now offer a base rate, but you have to pay extra for seat selection, carry on items, checked bags and so on. Google flights has worked better for me, especially if your travel dates are flexible. You can see what the base cost is for a range of dates and you are sent to the airline's website when you choose your flight.
Jim Santos:
I find it helpful to also install the airline's app on my iPhone. It will help keep track of any points you are earning and it makes it easier to get flight information updates. Now for getting around in rental cars and on foot, we use Waze, w-a-z-e and Google Maps. Both are also helpful for finding nearest restaurant or grocery store. Another useful trick we found while visiting Europe last fall involves air tags. These are small, coin-sized devices you can put in your luggage to keep track of your bags Very useful if your bag has been lost by the airlines, but also pretty handy if you are lost. We noticed when wandering around Athens that when we wanted to head back to our apartment, we just needed to check the Find my feature on our iPhones and get directions back to our luggage, which was sitting in the closet Getting rooms. Two big apps for places to stay, of course, are bookingcom for hotels and Airbnb for longer stays. The Airbnb app is also useful because in a pinch you can use it to contact your hosts through their messaging system.
Jim Santos:
Entertainment, us websites and VPN. This is an area somewhat ignored by casual vacationers, but if you're doing slow travel and staying months or more in one location, you may want to think about getting a VPN service, for several reasons. I guess let's start with the obvious, since not everyone is a geek like me. What the heck is a VPN? Well, it stands for Virtual Private Network, but that's not as important as what it does. You see, whenever you get on the internet, you're assigned a unique identifying address that is registered. Now, this registration tells everyone where you are in the world. If you're trying to use streaming services like Hulu, netflix and some others, they may detect that you are not in the US. As a result, they may only provide you with the entertainment options available for that country or in that language, or they may inform you that they cannot provide access at all where you are. Likewise, if you're trying to access your bank utility company, a healthcare portal or any US government sites like Social Security, you may find that they do not allow access from outside the US. Enter the VPN service. You pay a monthly or yearly fee to access the VPN provider when you're on the internet in, say, panama, like I am now. You can activate the VPN, which will then route you through a server somewhere in the US, assigning you a new registered number and providing a protected pipeline for you. Now it looks like you're in the US and you can access your sites and services.
Jim Santos:
I use a service called ExpressVPN, but there are several to choose from Norton, nordvpn, surfshark, totalvpn, cybershark, just to name a few. We travel with an Apple TV for entertainment, and ExpressVPN integrates very well with it. We were able, for example, to watch the Super Bowl on Paramount Plus with no problems. Looking ahead, there's one other app I should mention that we haven't had much use for yet, but we'll come in handy once we get the slow travel ball really rolling. That would be a Shenzhen calculator. There are several available for iOS and Android, so you can pick the one best for you. So what the heck is a Shenzhen calculator? Well, basically 27 countries and counting is more considering joining, entered into an agreement to make travel between them easier.
Jim Santos:
You can move from one Shenzhen country to another without having to go through passport checks at the border. For example, when we took a train from Vienna to Prague, the train did not have to stop at the Czech Republic border for passport clearance and no one asked to see or stamp our passports getting on or off the train. So far, great, right. The difficulty for us romers is that they also created a rule that if you are from a non-Shenzhen country like the US or Canada, you can only stay a total of 90 days in the entire Shenzhen area. Then you must leave for at least 90 days before being able to enter again.
Jim Santos:
Now, if that sounds complicated, it's only because it is, and that's where the apps for your smartphone can help out. You enter your travel itinerary in the calendar of the app and it'll tell you whether or not you're going into a Shenzhen area and, if so, how many days are remaining for you to use. Most will also tell you how many days remain until you can re-enter a Shenzhen country as well. The apps are also regularly updated, so if a new country joins, you'll know about it. In theory, the EU is supposed to be working on a special touring visa that will allow you to stay in the Shenzhen area for up to one year, with the possibility of extending it to another year. However, it's been almost five years since the idea was first announced, so don't hold your breath. Fortunately, there are still 165 or so non-Shenzhen countries that you can explore. That about wraps it up for the most useful apps we have found for slow travel.
Jim Santos:
If you have a favorite, please let me know at Jim at JimSanto'sBookscom. I'd also love to hear from anyone who is interested in being a guest on the podcast or to share your own stories and insights. That's all for now. Thanks for listening to Travels with Jim Enrito. So what happens next? Well, honestly, we don't have a clue. Remember, in the immortal words of Spinal Tap, it's such a fine line between stupid and clever. Be sure to like and subscribe so you can find out along with us which side of the line we are on. You can find my books and audiobooks at JimSanto'snet, or email me with any comments, questions or suggestions at Jim at JimSanto'sBookscom. If you're looking for more information about life overseas and travel in general, remember I also host the International Living Podcast, available through the International Living dot com website and all major podcast platforms. Until next time, don't forget we travel not to escape life but for life, not to escape us.