Stay In Touch With Long Distance Video Calling

Long distance travelling has always contained an element of adventure, but even more so in the past when communications with friends and family back home weren't always as readily available or cheap as they are now. Postcards and letters are perennially popular ways of keeping in touch, but they only allow the sender to make a series of statements, or ask questions that can only be answered by the recipient in a similar vein. So, how did past adventurers and the early tourists communicate with their loved ones back home?