sorry - i should have clarified. i'm definitely going to do skype as my primary means of talking with family and friends back home. free is a very appealing price
the cell phone will be used for 1) emergencies (i.e. i'm on a beach in ecuador and got lofted kiteboarding and slammed into a tree so am figuring out where/how to get somewhere to fix a broken bone) and 2) occasionally for setting up a hostel/hotel reservation when i first get into a country.