(Note: This blog is mostly about the accessibility issues we
tackled between Dubai and Budapest. While hopefully informative to those with
mobility restrictions, it may not be entertaining to others. Stay tuned for the
next Budapest blog for more sights and tales!)
The next leg of our journey was flying Emirates to Budapest
and we couldn’t wait to get there! Sadly the start of the day was far from
smooth sailing and we were in for a long day. At the Emirates check in the
staff member had no idea what to do when confronted with the wheelchair and
after several attempts at trying to explain what we needed or that Dickey
was not able to get up and walk despite her request she finally called her supervisor and he was able to
check us in with no issues. 20 mins of challenge to achieve the positive result in 5 mins!
We then breezed through customs only to be confronted
with what was clearly a Saturday morning at the Dubai airport! There were thousands of people
everywhere, toilet cues miles long and the coffee vendors working at snails pace.
Compared to the opulence we had witnessed around Dubai, especially in the
arrivals terminal, the departure terminal was definitely a bit worse for wear.
Making our way to our gate we presented ourselves to the staff, with plenty of
time before boarding and again were met with no apparent sense of urgency or awareness of
getting Paul on board the plane first. As boarding was announced it became pretty
apparent they were not at all ready for us and as the other passengers filed on
we continued to wait. For anyone with mobility issues you become very used to
boarding first and debarking last, a way of ensuring you are safely on, briefed
and don’t hold up the other travelers. On this flight there was none of this.
All of a sudden an Emirates ground crew member arrived with the boarding chair,
Dickey transferred across and his wheelchair whisked away. We crossed our
fingers it would be there at the other end!
Along with the many others cueing to find their seats we
joined the line. Transferring and settling is not a fast process
and he was flustered with the assertive crowds trying to push their way past as we tried to take our allocated seats. The whole process had been a shambles and being exhausted and emotional I admit I shed a
few exasperated tears, possibly for us both. Another hiccup and less than
pleasant event to add to list of experiences!
Landing in to Budapest was the most casual, no fuss experience;
polar opposite to boarding. After a fairly extensive wait in the aisle chair
just off the plane we were finally able to breath a sigh of relief as we saw
the wheelchair arriving. It is the most nerve racking experience putting it in
the care of total strangers and trusting it will be safely delivered at the other end. It would be the
equivalent of giving someone your legs and arms and hoping they bring them
back! Settled and comfortable for the first time since we left Dubai we joined
the line at passport control and waited out the hour delay. Exiting we were
greeted with the most tiny airport and could hardly believe we were standing in an International Airport of a capital city.
Service and assistance were fantastic and we were instantly
impressed with this intriguing city and excited to get out and see it. With no
language issues at all we were able to successfully exchange some currency and
received some great advice on accessibility of the train networks. Budapest
trains include some newly built, some renovated and others still on the
original lines. Because of this not all stations have lifts and are therefore
inaccessible for those in wheelchairs. The line closest to the airport was not
confirmed to have a functioning lift and the customer service rep encouraged us
to access the shuttle bus to our hotel. While we were able to negotiate this,
it was literally a mini bus. With considerable but incredibly impressive effort
from Dickey he managed to transfer himself up in to the front seat and we were
on our way. Perhaps a cab would have been easier, but hey where’s the fun in
that!!
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