Archive for the ‘Holiday’ Category
Annual Review 2018 – Part 2 Mallorca
Monday, December 31st, 2018(Deutsch) Rolli-Exkursion Mallorca 2017
Sunday, June 25th, 2017Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.
New savetysystem detected in Sri Lanka
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015
Frontpage
The traffic in Sri Lanka for us Europeans takes some time to get used to. As a training camp I recommend Frankfurt “Platz der Republic” during rush hour and a fair; driving through junctions, honking horns and squeezing through anything… and somewhere in between still fits a tuk-tuk or a moped.
This is called efficient road use – keeping a safety distance is wasted asphalt 
During the past 15 years a lot has happened with the infrastructure, but somehow pedestrian crosswalks are still perceived as decoration, and cows and elephants always have the right of way anyway … aahh … or so.
Using the horn is prohibited in front of temples, and this is really the ONLY traffic rule obeyed!!! 
This moped rider shows some astounding creativity in developing a new innovative safety concept for two-wheelers, at the same time bio-airbag, side impact protection and spacer. For this purpose he uses renewable raw materials in form of jackfruits.
Other than the cushioning effect in accidents ripe jackfruits spread such a stench that no other vehicle dares to get closer than a few feet. However, the improvement of the aerodynamics is negatively offset by the increase of the total weight of 150 kg – from zero to 50 in 2 minutes. To read the complede “Sri Lanka- serial” ,
Translator BW
Helicopter flight above Sri Lanka
Sunday, May 31st, 2015Frontpage
Sri Lanka, all that green and no apple trees
We were suitably picked up by a driver named “Amigo”, sporting aviator mirror sunglasses, in a silver-colored Hummer (as labeled on the hood, yet with a Honda logo at the steering wheel) and brought to the military airport in Colombo.
We were greeted by a welcome committee ready with a wheelchair, in which Lieutenant Dan probably sat already. Fortunately, they let me use my own.
We were the only tourists at the entire airport. The security chief himself took care of us right away. Our tour guide did honor to his name when he was suddenly back in the security area before us, because the security chief happened to be an old classmate of his.
Meanwhile the four bored immigration attendants were waiting in their turquoise blue saris for the end of their work day.
A golf cart pulled up equipped with mountings for flags, so strictly speaking a diplomat’s car. I started to feel like celebrity After some negotiation I was allowed to make the 100 meters to the launch site in my chair. For that I was accompanied by one of the turquoise wrapped ladies as a personal umbrella holder and also by two of my very own security guards. In my entourage puttered the golf cart with the three other passengers, one more sari-lady and even more security. Did I have a sign “Follow Me” on my vest?!
Arriving at the helicopter we were greeted by the pilot while another three men came from the hangar. I guess, I was the highlight of the day, perhaps even month, and everybody wanted to be there when the crazy white wheelchair man boarded the helicopter.
Approx. twelve men stood around me and waited for a command, how to best get me up and in there (seat height was about 1.40 m). The well proven safety grip did not work in this case.
As a result my old dream of a palanquin wheelchair was almost met, when four men lifted my wheelchair up to entrance height, from where I could with the help of my slide board comfortably slide on to the seat. This way my slide board literally turned in to a flight board The ground troops were thrilled! For a short while I felt like sitting on a throne, since everybody else was still down on the ground. I was tempted to wave to my people like the Queen, but then rather decided on a shy thumbs-up. What an uplifting feeling! It is indeed very special for someone who sits in a wheelchair, to suddenly be the tallest person around
We were flying towards the middle of the island to Kandy, and the pilot managed nicely to stay ahead of the looming monsoon rains.
The view of the island was, particularly of the highlands, comparable with the landscapes that one knows from films like Platoon and Forrest Gump. Everything is green, tea plantations and more palm trees than I have ever seen in 1 1/2 hours (and no apple trees – no apple trees, just pineapples!)
Shortly before landing, the pilot radioed that he needed more time to get ground clearance, since he had a wheelchair on board. To us this seemed a little exaggerated, because there was certainly not any more traffic than at the airport Kassel-Calden at rush-hour, (one plane the day). But everything must have its order
Back on the ground we already saw two men, who pushed my wheelchair from the hangar. One of them examined my sliding board from all sides in sheer fascination. I suspect he started that evening to work the jigsaw ; -) He must have been quite disappointed when it wasn’t used again for the transfer back from the helicopter…
Instead, the classical safety grip/throwing technique came to use, so that after the roundtrip the departure happened by a wheelchair spot landing. The Pilot was obviously impressed, because he said: “I know my game”.
On the way back the same welcome committee was awaiting us including umbrella holder, security guards and golf cart. The weather god was also gracious and only changed his mind after I was safe in my wheelchair again. Then the sky opened and the monsoon season greeted us. My personal umbrella holder kept walking next to me, unmoved by the fact that she got drenched, but she probably was used to this kind of downpour – her only comment was “It’s just rain”.
I would have liked to show you more evidence, but since we are talking about a military airport and members of the military, we held back a little on the photo shooting. A checkup of the accessibility of the local military jail was not part of the itinerary…
To read the complede “Sri Lanka- serial” , click here.
Translator BW
Wheelchair expedition Sri Lanka Part IV
Saturday, May 30th, 2015Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.
Wheelchair expedition Sri Lanka Part III
Friday, May 29th, 2015Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.
Wheelchair expedition Sri Lanka Part II
Thursday, May 28th, 2015Frontpage
Next we needed to select the airline. Since Sri Lankan Airlines is the only one that offers direct flights from Frankfurt and also because our friend is a flight attendant with them (a few connections can’t hurt – see older Blog: food on wings), this was our choice. Various airlines from the Gulf States also offer flights to Sri Lanka, but of course not direct.
Sri Lankan Airlines allows 30 kg free baggage per person plus carry-on; my wheelchair plus a second one if needed, would also be free.
However, I had to make some phone calls (my “favorite activity” ), until I got the confirmation that both my bathroom chair “Artosy”, which can be folded to fit in a hard case, as well as other medical aids would be carried for free, even without prior notification.
(Up to then I only knew that all expedients must be declared in advance. This info is as always without guarantee.)
In addition Sri Lankan Airlines still wanted some a kind of a medical form signed by my family doctor. Always something new…
The “International Medical Information Form” was what felt like the eighth fax copy of a micro script in English, which was hard to decipher before translation.
For a readable PDF-version of the questionnaire of Air Berlin click here.
Medizinisches Informationsformular (deutsch): Teil I und Teil II
Medical Information Form (englisch): Part II and Part II
Since I needed some additional vaccinations for precaution, and also a certificate for my meds, my Doc got to see me quite often during the weeks before the vacation.
At the end our luggage pile equaled that of an emigration! Between the 4 of us we hauled 5 suitcases incl. bathroom chair, 3 carry-ons, 1 XL-Wheelchair Backpack and 2 oversized women’s purses. Had there been a film crew from VOX, it wouldn’t have surprised me. However, despite shower chair and other tools we still had 30 kg unused capacity. We only declared my Rolli as special baggage.
Yay, 30kg free luggage for Souvenirs on the return flight – … the creditcard might get hot!
To be continued…
Click here to go to older blogs on the subject of “flying with a wheelchair”
To read all parts of the “Sri Lanka-Series” click here.
Translator BL
Wheelchair expedition Sri Lanka Part I
Wednesday, May 27th, 2015Frontpage
For as long as I have been confined to a wheelchair I’ve been on air travel for vacation for more than 10 times, but to rather close destinations (Mediterranean or Canary Islands, see earlier articles).
Up to now I didn’t dare to go on a long-haul flight. My concerns were not even about being able to get to the lavatories throughout the entire flight (there are other solutions), but rather the question as to whether my bum and back will hold up.
However, friends of ours immigrated to Sri Lanka about 5 years ago. Sri Lanka? Tropical climate, hot, high humidity – a climatic challenge for someone who can’t sweat anymore. How accessible actually is the infrastructure? Do they know the word barrier-free at all? We were there about 15 years ago (when I was still a pedestrian), therefore my doubts.
Well, common friends have convinced us, to venture out on that trip together. Now began the search for a suitable hotel. My preferred travel agent Runa-Reisen who specializes in travel in a wheelchair, does not offer Sri Lanka in his program (why not?). However, they asked for a travel report after my trip
So off to the travel agency, to one of the “big” ones (the one with the three letters)! Of course, the travel agent had no experience with travel in a wheelchair, but he really did his best. They, too wanted a travel report after the trip.
Fortunately, we have local friends as mentioned before. The Blue Water Hotel Wadduwa, seemed reasonably suitable and is only a half hour drive from their house.
Therefore, I provided my friend with a checklist created by me for wheelchair accessible accommodations – bed, space in the bathroom, tub or shower, steps, etc. – and instructed him to look at the rooms and to take photos.
PDF download of the checklist: German version , English version
It turned out that the standard rooms would have been okay space wise, the bathrooms however unsuitable for me. They had tubs instead of showers and too little space for a wheelchair anyway. Nevertheless, there were two Club Suites with fully handicapped accessible bathrooms incl. floor-level showers! This was worth the extra cost; and since we travelled off-season, availability was not a problem.
The Shower-wheelchair “Artosy” fits into a suitcase and is my own.
The floor-leveled shower only caused medium-sized floods lol …
If the beds are pushed together, even a balcony visit is possible
To be continued..
To read the complede “Sri Lanka- serial”, click here.
Translator BW
Technical Aids Tips and Tricks LXII
Monday, March 30th, 2015Sorry, this entry is only available in German.
Frontpage
 Barrierefreier Kinderspielplatz in Malta.
Ein tolles Beispiel fĂĽr Inklusion, der Spielplatz wurde 2014 gebaut. Dort hatte ich am Tag zuvor auch ein Kind im Rolli gesehen.
Das mit dem Rolli befahrbare Kletter-SpielgerĂĽst fand ich super.
Die Rollifahrer-Schaukel
war der Knaller, die ich als bekennendes Spielkind natĂĽrlich gleich ausprobieren musste.
Man fährt über die Klappe auf die Schaukel, diese kommt hydraulisch hoch, dann legt den Sicherheitsbügel um, und dann kann es losgehen / fahren.
Die Schaukel ist klasse und hat einen riesen SpaĂź gemacht, man sollte es aber nicht ĂĽbertreiben….
Bei meinem 360° Überschlag waren leider gerade die Akkus der Kamera leer
Eigude Shame Part XXVII
Friday, November 28th, 2014Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.
Ghost Bathroom
Friday, October 31st, 2014Frontpage
In a designated wheelchair hotel it goes without saying that the bathrooms are accessible and have an accessible shower.
Bathtubs are only used rarely by us wheelers.
Here some Spanish mechanics really have bricked up the former bath tub and made a storage rack out of it. I like!
My wife as a pedestrian felt discriminated.
Taking a closer examination, it could also be a
Sacrophagus of a tomb
You better don’t ask the question if there is still anybody lying in it.
Translator BL
Addendum Technical Aids Tips and Tricks IXL
Monday, October 6th, 2014Frontpage
I have nominated the FreeWheel 2012 as technical aid of the year.
I don’t want to repeat the whole blogpost here, so please see yourself the Blogpost 2012 FreeWheel.
It is a spoked wheel in the size of a children’s bicycle which you can clamp to the footrest in front of your wheelchair. This thing is ingenious and in permanent use for me.
Uneven paths, curbs, cobble stone, sand, gravel, grass and of course snow are no barrier anymore with the FreeWheel.
In the past the FreeWheel was only available for rigid frame wheelchairs. I bought from the inventor Patrick Dougherty his sample wheel for the trade fair and clamped it by magic on my foldable wheelchair with end-to-end footrest.
I sent him the pictures of my variant of wheelchair adaption, and he gave some thought about an adaptor.
After 2 years of development there is officially a FreeWheel Adaptor for foldable wheelchairs available since spring 2014.
Unfortunately only for wheelchairs with split footrest, as far as I understood.
FreeWheel adaptor for foldable wheelchairs
For questions as usual please contact: rollinator@eigude.de
Translator BL
Technical Aids Tips and Tricks LIV Rehacare 2014
Wednesday, October 1st, 2014Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.
Back from the German Alps
Thursday, August 28th, 2014Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.
Ingenious: A cooling vest and Cap which only needs water!
Saturday, July 27th, 2013Frontpage
Due to the rather tropical outside temperatures I would like to call your attention like every year to two older blogposts!
One is about a
Cooling Vest
(click here)
and the other one about a
Cooling Cap
(click here)
Since the summer 2013 has found us as well I have the prototype of a cooling shirt, also from the company E-cooline in permanent test mode, and I am happy.
Read the comments to the blogposts, there are some tips of other readers!!!
Translator BL
