1246 At Zhen Sheng (Baquerizo Moreno 1115) for lunch. Got up about 1130, drowsed a lot, only left hotel 15 mins ago. Can't get a coke light despite it being on the menu, having a water and pollo saltado con curry.
Plan is roughly to head down to Plaza Bolivar (which I sort of tried yday) and see the land lizards, hopefully stumble on that market and buy another microSD card from same stall since the one I bought yesterday seems OK from my testing, head down to south end of Malecon to see some stuff from guide book there then maybe head up Malecon to go to museum at north end which I passed yday but didn't go to. I may instead/as well buy a local SIM, not sure, but I think having one will probably be valuable for peace of mind if nothing else.
1558 Livid. Went to three Claro shops to buy SIM. First had 70s DSS atmosphere and four miserable customers sat waiting for attention. I said I'd come back later. Another had a woman in uniform on a headset, a cleaner and another bloke. They all stared at me when I went in, though no one asked me what I wanted, the woman was on phone for all I knew and it wasn't obvious the two blokes were customer facing and they didn't *say* anything. Anyway, they didn't have any. They pointed me to another Claro down the road. They had a SIM at the rip off price of 7USD inc 3 credit. I was going to buy it but while the guy went off and failed to have change for a 20 it turned out that was a full size SIM *and a micro SIM costs 10*. I said I'd not bother then.
Oh, an internet cafe en route had sign saying had Movistar SIMs but they didn't.
Then found a Movistar shop. Paid 7 for a SIM (no idea about credit). Instructions don't say how to check balance. Anyway, you need to activate it. I struggle to do this sat in middle of shop. As I go over to type my new phone no into the 'take a ticket' machine, a chap comes over and offers t help. He dials *001 as per instructions on my phone and it says invalid code or connecton problem. He reboots it, same. Cunt me phone is not unlocked and just sort of lets it hang there. Really shitty customer service. I know full well it is unlocked, I have happily used Claro SIM in Peru and IIRC Entel in Chile, not to mention it's Verizon branded but it works with my EE SIM in UK. I walk out swearing, the cunts have taken USD7 for nothing. I call the 'from any phone' number shown next to that *001 while in street and that works, except I can only register with a RUT (which I don't have) or a phone number (which I don't have, what might be the phone no on SIM cellophane doesn't get accepted, obviously I have no other phone number). You fucking robbing useless fucking cunts.
1755 I tried to register with Movistar's website. It kept trying to SMS me a temporary password. Yeah, that'll work when the SIM isn't activated. I filled in the contact form and almost instantly got a message back saying I would have to go into their shop if it doesn't work. Where presumably they will just claim my phone is blocked again. Also because I walked out swearing I feel I can't go back; on the one hand maybe I should have controlled myself better, on the other maybe they would have been totally unhelpful anyway and at least that way I got a microscopic amount of satisfaction. I could have asked for a refund or for them to activate the SIM in another phone (Claro in Lima did that as a matter of course, the chap had a non-smart phone in his desk) but at the time (and even to some extent in hindsight) I could not imagine them cooperating. I don't think I was in a foul mood before this went wrong but the whole atmosphere in all these shops just seemed so fucking surly.
It perhaps didn't help that I resent buying these local SIMs which I never use and the whole taxi uncertainty here gets on my wick. I don't think it's sour grapes to say I was never actually going to phone for a taxi myself anyway. How would I manage the language? Also in case of Cerro Santa Ana where would it pick me up? The taxi rank at the bottom makes it hard to see how I'd identify my taxi, especially when they're all yellow. Would they tell me the number of my cab? Would I remember it when I had nothing to write it down?
If there is a 'personal growth' (puke) lesson here, it's that I need to deal better with surly cunts who just tell you something's wrong and then leave it there instead of trying to resolve it. If I hadn't started to lose it then I could at least have tried asking for activation in another phone or a refund, or I could have fiddled with the thing myself in the shop, found the 1800 number worked and then asked for help at that point. I am certainly not taking all the blame, but still.
1946 Will head out soon, will ask advice at desk but probably just make things worse. Will send this now anyway...
Oh, after lunch went to Paque Simon Bolivar, land iguanas very cool, then to nearby national museum which was not bad, and free. Then the phone epic started.
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