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2 weeks in South America

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    2 weeks in South America

    This spring, my girlfriend and I are finally getting to follow through on our oft-discussed, mutual desire to bounce around South America for a couple (2) weeks. "Luckily" the heightened travel advisories posted for many countries is making planning a bit easier, but it's still proving to be a daunting task. Has anyone been (pre or post SCI) and have any wisdom to share?

    We're both in our 40s, her able-bodied and me c5 incomplete. We do a good amount of traveling and have toughed out some less-than-convenient sets of circumstances while doing so, but with that said, we're in no way interested in having to tough our way through the majority of our time there... clean & safe and somewhat convenient (whatever that means) for traveling with a gimp is what we're looking for. I can walk short distances/durations with crutches and do things like get on busses and into bathrooms some others may have trouble with. All the same, I'd prefer to have energy to expend at the various places we visit rather than using it up just getting there... delicate balance, I know. I guess by all that I just meant that just because I *can* walk up and down a flight of steps to reach a hotel room somewhere without a functioning elevator, I'm hoping not to have to. But I digress....

    We both dig little beach towns, city life and being out surrounded by natural wonders and nature in general. My girlfriend speaks fluent Spanish and is VERY into immersing herself into the culture... probably more-so than possible with me in tow, but I want to make sure she gets a good dose. We're not really about the nightlife scene as much as in the past, but we do enjoy good restaurants and food experiences.

    Based on all that (and some other stuff I won't bore you with), we're kind of thinking we'll do Ecuador for sure and are trying to decide between Argentina and Chile (or maybe both). I'm pretty sure all of our interests can be touched on with any combination therein, so I guess I'm asking if anyone has any other countries we might want to throw into the running or what your personal thoughts/experiences might be. Again, any insight from anyone in the know would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance!

    *************************************************************
    *** c4/c5 incomplete *** Injured in Summer 2003 ***
    *************************************************************

    #2
    In 2001 I went with my parents on a cruise from Santiago, Chile (actually Valpariso) to Rio: 17 days. Santiago is a very accessible city, and the nearby wine district is great. Further south in the Lake District of Chile (near Puerto Mont) is beautiful and also fairly accessible. In Santiago we actually got a wheelchair lift shuttle to take us from the airport to Valpariso; the rest of the trip we hired either cars or non-adapted vans for transport. Things may have improved in 21 years, but I can't swear to it. We did not get to see Patagonia, which I would have loved to have seen. If you choose Argentina, fly to Iguassu Falls for 2 days from Buenos Aires and visit both the Brazil and Argentina side. The latter is more accessible, the former more beautiful in my opinion. On our cruise we went around Cape Horn; the sea was like a lake which was a little disappointing!

    (KLD)
    The SCI-Nurses are advanced practice nurses specializing in SCI/D care. They are available to answer questions, provide education, and make suggestions which you should always discuss with your physician/primary health care provider before implementing. Medical diagnosis is not provided, nor do the SCI-Nurses provide nursing or medical care through their responses on the CareCure forums.

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      #3
      Awesome - thanks for the input!!

      we did not get to see Patagonia
      Was the reason for this accessibility related or just because it wasn't part of the cruise itinerary?

      *************************************************************
      *** c4/c5 incomplete *** Injured in Summer 2003 ***
      *************************************************************

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      • SCI-Nurse
        SCI-Nurse commented
        Editing a comment
        The cruise ship had an excursion there but it was very expensive and by small plane (from Punta Arenas). (KLD)
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