If there were any important messages, I could pick them up that way.
Some countries have very few external circuits and they are often busy for long periods.
This varies widely from country to country and from day to day. Get a calling card or telephone credit card before you leave home and a list of the numbers to call from within the foreign countries. From some telephones in some countries, you can call most of the major nations and speak directly to their operators in their language, using their credit cards.