Friday 26 July 2013 - leaving Brisbane

A lot of planning went in to this holiday, with the help of our travel agent to ensure the best possible outcome, particularly for my needs as a disabled person using a wheelchair.  I am a T7 incomplete paraplegic with the ability to stand-transfer.  My husband Terry and I were up very early in the morning to meet my sister Sharney (travelling companion and additional carer) at Brisbane Airport at 6.30 am.  Between the three of us, we had two suitcases, a backpack and a suit bag (for my disabled aids – fold up commode and fold up Zimmer frame with wheels).  I used a Ti-Lite manual wheelchair and I had a SmartDrive fitted to the wheelchair.  The SmartDrive was very useful during our trip, particularly at airports and shopping centres.  It was not suitable to use on footpaths because of uneven surfaces and the camber which meant footpaths were not flat. 

We travelled with Singapore Airlines, mainly because I had been told they had good disabled toilets on board.  I went to the door of the plane before being transferred to the plane's “skychair”.  The SmartDrive was removed and put in the backpack before my wheelchair was taken away for storage.  I am able to stand-transfer though that is still awkward at times.  I was taken to an aisle seat.  We were in the three middle seats.  The plane was an A330 and the plane was not full for our eight hour flight to Singapore.  I don’t use a catheter so when the need arose, Sharney and the cabin crew assisted me to the toilet using the skychair.  Three toilets had to be closed to allow Sharney and me to get in the toilet.  It was not the roomy disabled toilet I had expected and it was very difficult, particularly as the foot plate on the skychair did not flip up so further limited the room we had to manoeuvre.  It was all a very uncomfortable experience and I was very disappointed.

As we were going to land in Singapore, there was a severe thunderstorm below us.  The plane began to land in the storm but the captain obviously changed his mind as suddenly our plane was heading straight up, which was a bit unnerving.  We circled for a while till it must have been safe to land.  The tarmac was very wet.  We had a driver with a mini-van waiting to pick us up at the Airport about 4.30 pm.  It was about a half hour drive to our accommodation, Oasia Hotel, Sinaran Drive.  Terry and I had a nice double room and Sharney had her own room.  The bathroom had a roll-in shower with a flip-down shower seat and good rails.  The toilet had pull-down rails on either side.  So the bathroom met my requirements.

We had a delicious dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.  We were very tired.  When removing my shoes and socks before bed, I found my legs very swollen and painful.  I had worn pressure stockings on the plane, not realising they were not properly pulled up and were cutting in to my legs.  So I resolved not to wear them again.

Saturday 27 July 2013 - Singapore

After breakfast Terry made enquiries about tours.  We booked a number of bus tours and were picked up in a vehicle belonging to the tour company.  It was raining and a bit miserable so we thought travelling around the city to see it in a bus would be a good way to spend our time.  We were taken to their depot and got on a bus which had a ramp to allow access.  There was a space for a wheelchair, but I had to hang on to a rail to prevent my chair moving.  Even with my brakes on my wheels slid about.  It was a great way to see the city and sometimes the rain subsided.  We got off the bus to visit Little India.  I was hoping to use the disabled toilet there but the hygiene standard and rail set up was very poor so I left to find somewhere else.  We all enjoyed the colour and bustle of the place with the large variety of outlets in the food court.  We played it safe with some dahl bread and vegetable curry.  We sat and people-watched as we enjoyed our food.  Our bus trips took us past places we picked to visit the following day when we were told the weather would be better.

Sunday 28 July 2013 - Singapore

Following breakfast we got a taxi to the Singapore Flyer.  Taxis are quite an inexpensive way to travel in the city.  My wheelchair dismantled to fit easily in to the boot after I had transferred to the front passenger seat.  The weather was sunny and hot and the city looked beautiful after the rain.  We arrived at the Singapore Flyer (the largest of its kind in the world) parking out the front and as Terry began putting my wheelchair together, a lady from the ticket office walked quickly towards us.  Once I was in the wheelchair, this kind lady escorted the three of us to the ticket office.  As a “wheelie” I didn’t have to pay, neither did Sharney as my “carer” and Terry got a discount for being over 65.  This lady then took us through the staff entrance, past the long queue and right to the Flyer and we were put on the next gondola that stopped. It was wonderful to get this “special” service.  The views from the Flyer were fantastic.  We went around very slowly and could see all of Singapore.  The city’s architecture and the way it is set out with many parks and gardens were good to see.  It is also a bustling port with many ships around the harbour and close out at sea.

After the flyer we caught another taxi to Tower 3 of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, part of a three tower building housing a luxury hotel and shops. The three towers are joined together at the top with a structure that looks like a ship - stunning.  Tourists can get a lift to the top of Tower 3 – no discount or “special” service this time.  It was hot at the top but the views were spectacular.  We could see the Singapore Flyer and other scenes from a different perspective.  Back at ground level, we explored the shops in the complex which had all the usual brand names e.g. Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Ralph Lauren as well as other shops.  There was something for everyone there.  They even had a large artificial ice-skating rink.  There was a great variety of food outlets.

We then got a taxi to Raffles to experience that popular historical tourist attraction, the Long Bar.  We found a good spot in the bar and enjoyed watching the people around us.  We ordered the famous cocktail, the Singapore Sling, which was a delectable thirst-quencher but we drank it slowly and enjoyed the peanuts that accompanied it.  It is traditional to open the peanuts, eat them and throw the shells on the floor.  It took a little while to get in to “throwing rubbish on the floor” but we had fun  doing it there. 

We returned to our hotel for dinner and to pack our bags.  We left the hotel for the airport about 10.00 pm.

Monday 29 July 2013 - Singapore to Engen

We arrived at the airport and were the first to book in.  Not long before boarding Sharney and Terry checked their boarding passes (sitting beside each other), but then checked mine and found I was a couple of rows away so there was a mad scramble to fix this.  The sky chair wasn’t ready so we were last on board as changes had to be made.  The staff were flustered and embarrassed about this.  Our flight left at 1.20 am.  The plane was an A380, so larger than the previous plane.  This time they only had to close one other toilet to get me in but still very squeezy, not the “large disabled toilet” I had been told about.  It was a very long, 12 hour flight.  I didn't get much sleep.

We arrived in Zurich at 8.00 am and my cousin Waldemar was there to meet us.  It was so good to see him again.  He drove us to Engen the small town where he lives in southern Germany.  Waldemar took Terry and me to the disabled friendly room at the hotel Rasthaus im Hegau which was about two minutes from Waldemar’s house.  Sharney stayed at Waldemar’s house.  Our hotel room was very good with plenty of room to wheel around.  The toilet had pull down rails.  There was a wheel-in shower with a good rail and a plastic chair was supplied.   

After Terry and I had settled in, Waldemar took us to his house for a “welcome” lunch.  It was good to see Roma and Nick again as well.  After lunch Terry and I were returned to the hotel where we had a good sleep.  We were then picked up again to have dinner at Waldemar’s house.  Christoph, Simone, Dean and Lukas were also there for dinner.  It was good to see Christoph and Simone again and to meet their beautiful children.  We enjoyed our dinner and went back to our hotel to have a good night’s sleep.

Tuesday 30 July 2013 - Engen

We had a delicious breakfast at the hotel.  Waldemar and Sharney picked us up after lunch and we went for walk around Engen.  It is a lovely historic town but sadly some shops are not doing well.  Some have closed.  There are not enough tourists coming.  We met Christoph and his family, stopping at a little park where the children could enjoy play equipment such as a rocking horse on springs.  We had a very pleasant walk around then we went back to Waldemar’s house for a barbecue dinner.  Waldemar and Terry had a barbecue “competition” and we enjoyed both their efforts declaring them equal Barbecue Masters.  It was a very pleasant evening with good food, wine and conversation.  It was a late night when we returned to our hotel.

Wednesday 31 July - Engen

Waldemar and Sharney picked us up in the morning to see my cousin Mirek (Waldemar’s brother).  He was leaving for work in the afternoon so this would be our first opportunity to see him while he was at Waldemar’s house.  It was an emotional reunion as Mirek saw me in my wheelchair for the first time.   We all sat out the back and talked for a while till Mirek had to leave for work. 

Waldemar then took me, Sharney and Terry for a drive to Radolfzell at Bodensee.  As it was a beautiful sunny day there were many people about, swimming, sailing and sunning themselves on the lake’s beach.  We walked along admiring the sun sparkling on the lake for a while stopping for Terry to check out the Radolfzell Rowing Club.  We found a shady spot for an afternoon picnic and had a rest.

We drove back to Waldemar’s house for dinner and then friends of Waldemar and Roma came to visit for supper.  They were couples Beate and Adam; Karen and Werner, interesting people.  Roma took Terry and me back to our hotel, so a late night again, but it was a very enjoyable day.

 

Thursday 1 August 2013 - Engen

We had our delicious hotel breakfast.  This hotel seems very popular with truckies and also busloads of tourists stop here for a meal each day.  We had no plans for the morning so relaxed a bit and I caught up with uploading my photos to my Tablet and portable hard drive.  After lunch Waldemar took me, Sharney and Terry to Gaienhofen which is another popular tourist spot on Bodensee.  He took the “scenic” route rather than the autobahn so we passed through some lovely countryside and small picturesque villages.  Just like the day before, people were enjoying the sunshine in and on the water.  This is the summer holiday season and people come from  near and far to make the most of the glorious weather. We all sat at a café on the pier and had a drink or ice-cream.  Unfortunately, there was no disabled toilet in the area so we stopped at Roma’s workplace at SeeMaxx Factory Outlet Center in Radolfzell on the way back and I used the toilet there.  The toilet had pull down rails.  I called Sharney in to have a look and showed her that the mirror was too high to see myself to comb my hair.  Roma said she would speak to the management about it.  It has since been rectified.

Roma came home with us and Christoph and his family came round to Waldemar’s place too so we had another pleasant evening together.