16 May, Çanakkale
Pansiyon 17 70TL (breakfast included)

A frustrating day spent trying unsuccessfully, on the whole, to resolve technical issues of one description or another. My Windows XP, recently reloaded on my Acer netbook, needs apparently (and unexpectedly) to be “activated”. As I cannot get online until this is done, I cannot do it online and no-one we have spoken to in Turkey knows how to do this by phone. I am hoping Dial-a-Nerd in Jo’burg can help. Both Charl and I had bought Turkcell sim cards in Istanbul so we can reach each other if necessary and can be reached by family should the need arise. Turkcell did not tell us the sim cards were valid for a few days only and that our phones would have to be “registered” in Turkey, which requires paying a registration tax, which requires becoming a temporary resident! So we are currently phoneless while we try to arrange international roaming via Vodacom in Jo’burg. So… Charl’s day of rest was less restful than hoped.