“A Big Adventure” Traveling While Disabled (Part 3c):

Last week, I chronicled “going for a walk” (which is code for going for ice cream) with Kurt to a great plaza next door to our building, where they have those lovely new cobblestones and a lift for wheelchair users. This week, I want to tell you about my caregiver scouting walk. It was a doozy! I ended up walking almost two miles and never did find Matthew’s Bagels. Google maps took me on an adventure that ended up way past the Bagel Shop. Scouting the route, it looked mostly impassable for Kurt’s wheelchair and at times was even difficult for me on foot. Suffice it to say, I needed to rest the next day, but the whole walkabout was worth it because I learned some valuable lessons, which I will briefly detail below.

1. The sidewalks in the San Sebastian and Puertas del Sol neighborhoods are full of obstacles and vary from very wide to extremely narrow. I barely avoided the traffic while letting a young American woman and her miniature bulldog pass me on a bridge as I waited to cross the busy street. Eek!

2. Crossing the street in some neighborhoods is crazy difficult for an able-bodied person, let alone a larger guy in a wheelchair. This side of the city seems more in a hurry than the other neighborhood we were in at the Airbnb (El Vergel). They have tons of roundabouts here, so the traffic is never-ending. There were very few crosswalks and fewer traffic lights during my walk. Patience and caution are key, but you must find a balance between the two, or you will never cross a street in this neighborhood.

3. Make sure to write down your directions before you leave on foot or in a wheelchair. Google Maps is great until it stops working or you can’t understand its directions. I’m not that familiar with roundabouts, so when Google Maps directed me to take the first right off the roundabout, I went straight (which, in all fairness to me, was bearing to the right off the roundabout). My neurodiversity can cause me issues when translating these types of instructions. I am literal. Technically, I took the first right, but it was the “wrong right.” From that point onwards, Google Maps lost its signal and was rerouting. Luckily for me, I remembered my survival skills training and eventually followed the river back home (thanks to my late Dad for helping me learn this one). I was without bagels or gluten-free sourdough bread, but I digress…

4. After this walkabout, which was actually quite pleasant since it followed the well-manicured river trail alongside the Tomebamba River here in Cuenca, I decided that, given Kurt’s wheelchair handling challenges and my own physical challenges helping him, we will be using taxis for the most part. Fortunately, here in Cuenca, Ecuador, the taxis are affordable, and the drivers are helpful. We will still be walking/wheeling to his doctor’s appointment up the block tomorrow (no worries, it’s just routine stuff). I will write about that next time.

Traveling while disabled and living in other countries, which are less wheelchair friendly than the US or some European destinations, does have its challenges, but with careful planning and flexibility, they can be overcome. A few prayers never hurt either! ;-)

What are some ways you’ve dealt with challenges while traveling or living abroad? I’d love to hear what you have to share. Community is what makes us stronger, and I enjoy meeting new folks and learning what has worked for them, so please drop me a comment.

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