Bali isn't made for wheelchairs, I was warned. But during mytwo-week visit to that tropical paradise, I quickly discovered that adisabled person with a narrow, lightweight wheelchair, a stronghelper and plenty
of perseverance can "do" Bali.It had been my longtime dream to visit
the ancient temples, hear alive gamelan orchestra and sample Bali's fine arts. For once mydream coincided with my budget;
the U.S. dollar was powerfully strongthere. (It was 10,900 rupiah to $1 U.S. when I was there; prices noware a bit higher than what I quote but still very low.) Combined withBali's inexpensive food and lodging, my boyfriend Richard and I knewwe could live well for under $15 per day.After a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles, we had a layover at HongKong's new International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. Other passengersmarveled at its gleaming architecture, but I was more impressed withits accessible restrooms.Four hours later, our plane finally touched down in Bali. Fiftymiles long and 90 miles wide,
the island is just 8 degrees from
theequator.
The 80-plus temperatures and matching humidity hit us likea sauna towel. Fortunately, Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airportwas accessible, and its efficient staff eased our transition to anair-conditioned cab. Our driver whizzed us through traffic teemingwith packs
of noisy scooters to Ubud,
the cultural center
of Bali,about one hour north
of the airport.Outside
of Bali's airport and several five-star resorts, there islittle "up-to-code" access available for wheelchair users. Since Ihad no desire to isolate myself from Bali's everyday life by stayingin an upscale hotel, I sought alternatives.
The Indonesian TouristOffice offered no access information, so
the Internet was my savior.For six months, I collected information online.Steep temple steps, narrow doorways and broken sidewalks are morecommon than ramps on this island
of nearly 3 million people.Balinese architectural style often features thresholds consisting
ofone big step up followed by one (or more) steps down. Such barriersinhibit access, but a strong helper can help overcome such obstacles.Arriving in Ubud, we checked into
the Rice Paddy Bungalows. Thoughnot accessible by U.S. standards (our cottage had a step into
thegarden then two steps up to our veranda), it worked for us. Ourbungalow, set amid a lush tropical garden, offered an unclutteredfloor plan, comfy twin beds, a big ceiling fan and a large tiledbathroom with a hand-held shower. A double was a bargain at $6 perday.In order to collect mosquito coils and bottled water for
the night,we navigated
the irregular sidewalks
of Monkey Forest Road, amile-long collection
of shops, restaurants and accommodations.Ubud's sidewalks are a roller coaster
of tiled ramps broken into aseries
of flats, with drops and rises to facilitate
the drainagesystem. Since many
of these ramps are quite steep, we chose
the openroad instead. Most
of Monkey Forest Road is flat - only
the lastblock before
the Monkey Sanctuary is steep. Staying primarily in
theroadside as we moved around
the traffic enabled us to visit Ubud'smany shops and restaurants.We settled easily into Bali life, rising early each morning - with
the many crowing roosters - to choose our breakfast spot and wander
the streets still smoky from
the morning offerings placed beforeevery home and shop.We started each day with a delicious blend
of fresh tropical fruitjuices followed by banana pancakes, eggs and coffee.
The bill forboth
of us seldom topped $4. After breakfast, we usually hit
theshops to bargain for goods and receive what
the locals call
the"morning price" -
the lower price merchants settle for in order togain
the good luck they believe accompanies an early sale.To continue our shopping spree in
the outlying villages, we hireddrivers (usually with 4-wheel-drive Toyota Kijangs) for about $5.50for a half day. To board
the vehicle, I had to be lifted awkwardlyinto its high seat, but
the view and air conditioning were well worth
the hassle.When we weren't shopping, we sampled some
of Ubud's many culturalattractions, such as
the Women's Gamelan Orchestra and
the WayangKulit (shadow puppet) shows. Tickets to these and other nightlyattractions were $1.50. Access usually involved stacks
of steps, butI never lacked helpful hands to assist me, and
the incredibleperformances always compensated for any inconvenience.
The Monkey Forest Sanctuary is perfect to visit on a hot afternoonwhen its shady paths are a pleasant respite from
the heat and noise
of Ubud. After moving down a steep ramp, I found
the forests' pavedpathways easy rolling except for
the inaccessible Pura Dalem templewith its flight
of stairs.
The forest is home to packs
of wildmonkeys
of all shapes and sizes. Rather like a zoo without walls,
the simians roam free here and easily charm bananas from
the visitingtourists.A three-day excursion to Bali's Kuta beach area allowed us to visit
the unforgettable temples
of Uluwatu and Tanah Lot.Our room at Kuta's Restu Bali Hotel had one step into
the lobbyfollowed by a steep step en route to our room, and then two steps upto our veranda. Our spacious air-conditioned room had no specialaccess features, but
the bathroom, with its hand-held shower, workedfor me.Uluwatu, an ancient cliff top temple (complete with gangs
ofmonkeys) was reached with a roundtrip taxi fare
of $5.50. Afterobtaining monkey food (melon) and sashes to visit
the sacred grounds,Richard and
the cab driver assisted me up piles
of steps to a goodview
of the temple perched some 600 feet above
the crashing surf.A perilous flight
of stairs prevented me from entering
the temple,but I felt I was still able to capture its special presence from adistance.Tanah Lot, another visually stunning sea temple, is situated on agorgeous beach an hour from Kuta. While it's a major sunsetattraction for tourists, even
the many souvenir shops jamming
thepark-like entrance can't detract from its beauty. Well-placed rampsthroughout
the area helped me reach a good viewing area before I washalted by a flight
of steps leading to
the sandy beach and
thetemple.Sitting atop
the steps at sunset and breathing
the fresh sea air, Isavored
the beautiful sight before me.
The sun's last golden raysbrushed
the top
of Tanah Lot and moments later
the sky was awash inshades
of pink and orange. It was truly breathtaking.While I watched other tourists strolling toward
the temple, Irealized that although Bali's architectural barriers sometimes keptme physically at a distance, they would never diminish
the access Ihad gained to Bali's heart.Marti Gacioch publishes Global Access, a monthly Web magazine fordisabled travelers, located at www.geocities.com/Paris/1502/.
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