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Keeping in Touch
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- International calls can be made
from 'cabines téléphoniques' - privately owned phone booths.
Dial : 00 + country code (1 for Canada and US) + area code
+ phone number. It may take a few moments for the call to go through
and you may have to try more than once. ** A phone call from Mali to Canada is very expensive! The price
is anywhere from 810 - 1825 Fcfa per minute.
- Be aware of time zone changes - Mali is on GMT
- It is often easier and cheaper for people back home to phone
you in Mali. If you have a number you can be reached at, you can
use e-mail to set up the time for a call and then wait by the
phone. This does require patience on both ends as they
may have to try several times to get the call through. It is also
cheaper for those back home to use prepaid calling cards. Several
cards have competitive rates, such as CiCi or African Voice. Also
look into Caztel - www.1010710.com.
- Local calls cost about 125 F per minute and can be made from
any cabine téléphonique.
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- If the organization you work for in Mali does not have a mailing
address, you can rent a mailbox from the central Bamako post office
or in the village/town you work in. Alternatively, you can ask
at a local hotel if mail can be sent to you at their address.
- Mail can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a month travelling
between Canada and Mali - packages are likely to be delayed.
- To mail a letter you must go to the post office, purchase and
affix sufficient postage (around 400 Fcfa, but price varies depending
on where you are in Mali). Hotels will also often sell stamps
and even mail your letters.
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- In Bamako, cybercentres are easily found. It's worth trying
a few different ones, since fees and connection speeds can vary.
- If you have access to a computer you may want to type up e-mails
and save them to a disk - then take the disk to the cybercentre
to save the cost of being on-line. Connections can be VERY slow,
so even typing your e-mails in notepad while you wait for your
Internet account to download will save time and money.
- Internet fees range from about 500 Fcfa/hr in Bamako, 1000 Fcfa/hr
in Ségou, to 2000 Fcfa in Tombouctou.
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web site created by Anita Grace © 2005
photos © Jennifer Cartwright & Anita Grace
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