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So we knew it wouldn't be easy. Brad bought the Lonely Planet guide to Ukraine and here is it's advice to wheelchair travelers:
Disabled Travelers
Even Kyiv, the best-equipped Ukranian city, is not that friendly to people with disabilities. The rest of the country is worse. Uneven pavements, steep drops off curbs, holes in the road, lack of disabled access to public transport and very few wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms mean the only way to have an enjoyable time would be to come on a tour catering specifically for the disabled travelers - and these don't exist.
Good thing I don't read Lonely Planet guides - I'm having a blast!
We caught the plane to Odessa today. Kiev is the capital of Ukraine but the airport does not have gates and you disembark on the tarmac. I've had some strange experiences in smaller regional airports in the past so I was somewhat concerned when we arrived about how prepared they would be for someone traveling in a wheelchair. At least they have an elevator device for getting people on and off the plane.
The plane was a somewhat shaky older plane with no markings for Aerosvit. Brad and I got seated on the plane first and as the passengers filed on we spotted an extremely beautiful woman dressed in Dolce and Cabana, looking like a supermodel. Brad was like "Give me proof there is a God" and sure enough, she we seated next him so I think that theological issue has now finally been resolved for him.
When we arrived in Odessa the passengers disembarked down stairs out the tail of the plane. Normally at this point some airport staff come on the plane with a small aisle wheelchair and drive me down the aisle to my regular wheelchair which is waiting at the gate if all goes well. I think i might be the first person in a chair to fly into Odessa.
Brad disembarked with the other passengers which left me and three flight attendants waiting for the airport staff to arrive to get me off the plane. In a few minutes 5 or 6 people arrived with a nurse and something that looked like an orange body bag. I think they were somewhat surprised when they found me healthy and hale ready to go. I tried asking if my wheelchair was outside but nobody spoke any English. Finally we got two guys to simply carry me off the plane to an awaiting ambulance.
It seems in Odessa they simply pile all the luggage on a trailer, drive it to the edge of the landing strip near the exit and let the passengers grab for bags in a free for all. It works though. Got the chair and our driver was there to meet us - sweet!
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Mazyar
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:))
"Good thing I don't read Lonely Planet guides - I'm having a blast! " Enjoy it man.