I still have the very first letter (and photos) received from my Filipina ex... almost 26 years ago now, plus a copy of the first one I sent to her.
It took a month for the mail 'round trip'... and back then it was £1 a minute on the phone. The call had to be prearranged of course since no 'ordinary' people had landlines in their houses. In fact her village had neither phones nor TV.