Yeah, stupid regulations. As a workaround, you could buy a cheap, unlocked smartphone on www.mercadolibre.com (maybe something in the order of $100 dollars) and ask your parents to send you over the sim card.
Being unable to communicate with your loved ones, access the interwebs for useful resources or maps in real time for the place you are - especially when abroad - is certainly something to think of.
Being unable to communicate with your loved ones, access the interwebs for useful resources or maps in real time for the place you are - especially when abroad - is certainly something to think of.