Attempted to get more cash from the local ATM machine. It refused both ATM cards (Bank of America and Santander). I tried two other ATM machines from two other banks. All attempts were rejected; claiming my card was invalid.
I can’t call the banks because I have no working phone. And even if I could, spending half an hour on hold at $1 per minute didn’t sound like a good idea. On the back of both cards it says that they accept International collect calls. But no one here knows how to make a collect call. I certainly don’t.
Great! No phone and now no money. I can solve most travel problems anywhere in the world with a phone and cash. I now had neither!
Decided to attack the phone problem again.
I had given up on getting either of my two smart phones to work here in India. I walked to a nearby vendor and bought a smart phone. It connected immediately using my new SIM card.
Before buying the phone I had shown him my VISA credit card. After breaking the seal on the box, he indicated that he doesn’t accept credit cards. He wanted 7,000 rupees cash (about $80). A reasonable price for a brand new smart phone. But I only had 7,100 rupees left. Why didn’t he say he doesn’t accept credit cards when I showed it to him?
He brought my credit card to two other stores. They couldn’t take it either.
I tried to return his phone but he pointed to the broken seal and uttered one English word “Warranty”. Sigh.
Faced with no other options, I gave him 6,500 rupees. He wanted 500 more (about $8).
I showed him my remaining 600 rupees and motioned that I had to eat! He decided to accept my offer.
I still had a big problem. I had the phone but the SIM card had no money on it. So, I couldn’t use it yet.
Great. I now have three smart phones none of which could make a phone call.
I had a prepaid train ticket but no way to get to the train station.
I walked back to the hotel. Connected to their WiFi and used WhatsApp on my tablet to contact my guide who was planning to meet me in Hampi the next day. I explained my sad situation to him.
Somehow he managed to remotely add funds to my cell phone and got it working.
He contacted the hotel. Somehow he transferred 2,500 rupees to the hotel, which they handed to me in cash.
Apparently, in India they can transfer money instantly yet nobody accepts an American credit card.
I now had enough cash to hire a cab to the train station but not enough to hire a cab from the destination train station to my hotel in Hampi.
By this point it was after midnight back home. I left urgent email messages with my son asking him to drive to one of the banks in person to straighten this out when they open in the morning. I told him to bring my signed Power of Attorney which I created specifically for times like this. I explained that I absolutely needed cash or I would become stranded with no money and no place to stay. Bad situation.
I left for the train with a working phone but without enough cash to get to my next hotel.
Before the train arrived at my station my son sent me an email. (I could finally communicate by email without WiFi because I finally had a working smart phone. )
My son wrote that neither bank had any record of any denied attempts. Both ATM cards should work. There was nothing more he could do.
I had also emailed one of my sisters who travels internationally a lot. She suggested trying to get a cash advance using one of my credit cards. I had done that decades ago and hadn’t thought of that workaround.
When I arrived at my train station there were no cabs but plenty of tiktuks. I told the drivers that I needed a cab. 300 kilometers was too far for a tuktuk. They called one of their friends (and got a kickback from the cab driver).
When he arrived, I told him I needed to stop at an ATM in order to pay him. He understood and drove me to one he knew was working. (Most ATM machines around here have a “not working” sign.)
I tried both ATM cards. Both were rejected.
I tried my sister’s suggestion. Success! 10,000 rupees! The most any machines in this country will disburse.
I have money and a working phone!
It had taken three days and lots of help from my friends and family.
I feel soooooo much better.
The driver brought me to my hotel in Hampi.