Getting ready for the big adventure to Israel with Lydia. I have been preparing for a couple of months since I have to plan for both of us. Traveling in the US, even in our own city with a wheelchair is challenging enough. Even with the ADA, businesses still put trash cans in front of bathrooms, have crowded aisles, and inaccessible tables in restaurants. Sometimes we have been promised a fully accessible room, only to find that the particular room was booked before we got there and there is a tub.
Having never flown out of the country, I had to learn the maximum size of the luggage, translated from metric to the US system of measurement. Packing for an extended period of time without access to the laundry requires special preparation, so I have purchased some apparel that are stain resistant, UV-blocking, and can be hand washed at the sink. After reading various tips online, I also considered lots of pockets in the cargo pants. I even purchased inflatable neck pillow for the flight for each of us, although not sure how comfortable they will be. Not sure what to do about the fleece travel blanket as it takes up a lot of room. Perhaps I can find something thinner online if I search around some more.
The biggest issue has been adapting to all of the electronics. After hearing about devices melting and burning, I was just a tad concerned. I purchased a dual-voltage hair dryer, as the cost was equal to the price of an adapter. I also bought several adapters, after learning the specific type of plug that is used in Israel. I learned that most modern electronics are made for dual voltage, so you only have to adapt the plug, not transform the current itself. Whew! Laptops and cameras are compatible with dual current, but I was very concerned about Lydia's DME. I learned that both the power chair and the BIPAP are compatible with the 220 voltage. When calling Pride Mobility, the wonderful technician gave me the contact info for a company in Israel that could service the chair if needed.
I have been debating for months whether to take Lydia's manual chair since we will be taking her power chair. I can convince myself either way; the challenge of traveling with two chairs as well as suitcases and a quad cane is a little unsettling, but it is easier for her to navigate in small areas such as hotel rooms with her manual chair. Also, her battery only travels a maximum of 20 miles per day; as in the example of mpg ratings for vehicles, this is probably a big overestimate. So, we will probably take the manual too!
I have been reading various tips about traveling with wheelchairs on airlines. I plan to carefully mark all of the manual chair pieces with tape and put all of the small parts (foot rests, seat cushion, contoured back) in a bag together for the plane. I will probably use Velcro to fasten the manual chair in the folded position. It's a lot of responsibility for one person to manage all this and the loss of the pieces would make it difficult if not impossible to use the chair at all. However, I have traveled many times with the manual chair before, so need to just get over this part. There will be many helpers once we arrive in Israel who will assist with moving our equipment into the hotel.
I did some research about the hotels and guest houses where we will be staying. We will be staying in each hotel for at least two nights. Routes Travel has done an excellent job locating accessible hotels, with pools, etc. There will be 10 young people and their companions on the accessible bus. The trip looks amazing and we will be on the go! Hike at Neot Kedumim, grottos of Rosh Hanikra, Golan Winery, Tiberius, Jerusalem, Ben Yehuda, Dead Sea (of course), Yad Vashem, and more. While I have seen pictures, I cannot even
I have read a few blogs from previous participants on this and related trips and feel more comfortable about the experience. One of the first places that we will stay will be Beit Kay in Naharia, which is a facility built for the disabled veterans. It seems to have lots of rehabilitation services from its description, so I hope to visit that more closely and see if I can take some pix. When I really think about it, what other developed country would have the need for such facilities? And have the resources to do so? I know that I will learn a lot and appreciate the seeing and hearing about the history of the Jewish homeland.
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