Galapagos by wheelchair

摘要

As a quadriplegic due to MS (multiple sclerosis), my decision to go to Peru and the Galapagos Islands in October 2008 was not made easily. But after reading an article in Open World, the magazine formerly published by SATH [Society for Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped], my partner and I were encouraged and ready to take the trip of a lifetime. I contacted Pepe Lopez in Cusco who specializes in taking people with disabilities up Machu Picchu. Unfortunately, I discovered that my weak breathing muscles preclude a trip to Cusco at 11,000 feet, but Pepe offered to take us to the Galapagos Islands 1000 km off the coast of Ecuador. My husband and I decided to do a land-based tour rather than the usual boat cruise which necessitates climbing down a ladder into a smaller boat for wet landings at the different islands which do not have docks. We brought a Trailrider from Ontario, a wheelbarrow/rickshaw device developed by British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society (BCMOS) to allow people with disabilities to access the outdoors. It proved invaluable on the rough lava terrain of Santa Cruz and Isabela islands. Thanks to the Trail-rider, I saw more tortoises and wildlife than I've seen in a lifetime!