Traveling

Modification if you’ve got a disability is perhaps the way to still go on the type of holiday you like. My backpackers trip to Thailand certainly proved that.

my sense of adventure hasn’t left me, even though I cant possibly do all the things I want to or do the others the way I want to. still I refuse to behave like a wheelchair bound person and take typical disable holiday. so I went to koh chang in Thailand, a island by the Cambodian border, stayed in a bungalow by the sea with no facilities to make life easier. I wanted to come to koh chang 8 years ago, but missed my minibus, so went to koh samet instead.

I’ve was fortunate to come over to the island care of my dads driver (my dad lives in Bangkok, but I hadn’t seen him for 16 years - another story with lots of moralising about the role of parents) I would of been hard pushed to come any other way. I was able to bring my electric wheel chair on the plane but its not much good on the island.

the bungalow I stayed in, is on the sea front, reached by a fairly sturdy sand path. I don’t think anyone, as fully and as visibly disabled person as I am, from anywhere in the world, has stayed in the kai bea resort where I was. Its hardly surprising that heads turned, Thai and other wise, where ever I went, which really wasn’t that far.

One of the most amazing things for me being there was snorkelling in the sea. I used to be helped into the sea by two Thai ladies of much strength and endurance. They lived in with me as it needs two people to help walk me up the steps to my bungalow, even walk me into the basic bathroom and help keep the place clean.

So they pushed the push chair I brought into the sea, I must have looked ridiculous wearing arm band and having a bright yellow woggel, a long noodel like float. Lots of swimming pools have them for aqua aerobics and swimming aids, but they are a miracle invention. I ordered mine from www.marchsports.co.uk the only place I could find on the internet. My snorkelling expeditions just wouldn’t have been possible other wise.

Once I’m in the sea, I’m free. I’ve got a mask and snorkel so the underwater world is mine.

I would spend hours each day drifting around submerged, in the underwater garden that lived centre meters underneath the seas surface. Not really aware of my inability to swim in a straight line,(calcified left elbow = L shaped arm) it really didn’t matter, very little did.

so I didn’t let my disability stop me experiencing a totally different way of life and holiday. it certainly wouldn’t be for everyone, disabled or otherwise, but it just goes to give light to the phrase - if you want it, do it! Okay, so that’s a bit of a clique and it drives me nuts too, I guess what I’m saying, I refused to let my disability, mine happened to be phisical, stop me from doing what I wanted. okay, so I had to compromise but I still did it!

By

Nessa