Thanks again for your response. Yes, a SIM card is typically a good solution, but I could not get an e sim and it would have meant that my original number which is on all correspondence would not be available. Skype normally is fine but with lengthy hold times I’ve been incurring more costs than I expected. But really this is not the main point. It has been 5 days and they still have not located the luggage, let alone try to figure out how to get it to me. Realistically it will not reach me high up in-the Caucasus mountains. I don’t need cosmetics or drugs. I do need warm clothes that I can wear outside in sub zero temperatures. And a change of clothes or two. I would consider this essential and necessary. We will see what they think.