iPhone in Guate

When I left Phoenix and my cushy office job two years ago I didn’t own an iPod, had never really read a blog, let alone authored one, and the whole gadget obsession with Apple products was baffling.  But, we bought a few iPods just before leaving the states and I was impressed with how well they worked, their durability and the fact that unlike their cheap MP3 competitors, you don’t have to buy a bunch of batteries.

Once we were settled in Antigua I decided to get my Blackberry unlocked, or ‘cracked’ as some say, so it could work here in Guate.  I loved my Blackberry in the US; it enabled me to keep up on my email wherever I was and the functionality was great.  Unfortunately, the 300Q I paid for the ‘unlock’ didn’t get the job done, as I soon discovered I couldn’t access the web and even text messaging was unreliable.  One of my Chapin friends explained that my phone was designed for the Verizon network in the US and was specifically intended not to work on foreign GSM systems.   I struggled with this for a year and finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a new phone, and the iPhone was at the top of the list.

I found a used 2G phone on eBay and shipped it to a mule who was kind enough to bring it with him.  I spent a few hours downloading programs to unlock it so it would work on Tigo’s network, and suddenly I was live.  I must say I’ve been impressed with the phone, although it pales in comparison to the Blackberry when it comes to text messaging and email.  It’s hard to beat an actual keyboard, but the rest of the functionality is great, and the camera is outstanding.

I’m sharing this because some of you email with tech-type questions and this is the closest thing I’ve got to tell.  Some of you might be interested in the cartoon that follows.

This holds true for Guate as much as it does the US