Rolling Traveler

Your picture for this Sunday is the northern side of Wroclaw Town Square, in a freezing December rain. The Town Square is called the Rynek [RIN-eck] in Polish, and it is the heart of the city in many ways: for business and administration, but also for nightlife. In the summer, it would be absolutely thronged with people, but, as I said, freezing rain.

Looking at this picture now, a few thoughts come to my mind… like why wasn’t I wearing a scarf? And who the hell wears pants that light in Central Europe in winter? Was I wearing long-johns? I better have been, because, I’m just saying: freezing cold, raining, and underclad legs that you’re not moving is a recipe for getting ill fast.

I’m also struck by the color. Any time anyone tries to tell you that the former Eastern Bloc countries are gray or drab, show them this. Even on a dull winter’s day, the colors of the buildings come through. Wroclaw underwent extensive renovation projects to restore this look to the city, and I think they did a great job. It’s a great city to visit for a lot of reasons, and it’s an attractive city too.

But boy, it was cold! Next time, I’m visiting in the summer.

The fever came back today and overcooked what would have been a great post, leaving me staring at a blank screen with a blank and rather fuzzy brain. In the past 15 years, I’ve traveled to over 40 cities in over 15 countries, and I can’t think of a thing to write about except “I’m still sick” and “I hate how antibiotics make me feel”. Considering that I used to teach writing classes, that’s kind of embarrassing.

However, seeing as yesterday I just got this blog of mine restarted after a rocky month, I’m not going to let that stop me. 

It was interesting to see how many friends told me I was probably sick now because I traveled last week. “You probably picked it up on the plane” or “Well, you were away” is what I got. Why is that more likely than my having picked it up from one of my co-workers or students? Or on a commuter train heading for work? Or just from having a weakened immune system due to stress? I find travel can get a little demonized by people when it comes to getting ill. I’m not saying you can’t catch a cold from a fellow passenger, I just don’t think it’s a more likely cause than any other. 

I’ve traveled so many times without falling ill that I never think of travel-related matters as the cause. I look more to myself. Have I been taking good enough care of myself? Did I drink enough water, get enough rest, dress for the weather? Was I careful not to touch my tires during dinner? Let’s face it, wheelchair tires can be nasty, so after I wash my hands for dinner, I try not to touch them. Was I under a lot of stress?

That might be the reason other people make the travel and sickness connection - because they find traveling stressful, and stress does weaken the immune system. Stress is a far more likely contender for the cause of your post-holiday cold than the air on the plane or the passenger with the blocked nose sitting two rows back, if you ask me.

Thoughts?

I thought nothing short of two punctured wheels would stop this rolling traveler dead in his tracks, but it seems that the right amount of stress and a nasty dose of bronchitis can do the trick just as well. This isn’t the post that I wanted to restart Rolling Traveler with, but it’s certainly relevant to my current situation. As is often the case, the stresses and life changes that were keeping me occupied over the past couple of weeks took their toll, and I came down with a what-is-my-name-again? level fever and a racking cough like I haven’t seen in years, leading to another delay in the Rolling Traveler restart.

I haven’t been sick enough to need the doctor in a while, but I definitely needed one this time. I wanted to get a house call, which I’ve never done in Germany. I felt justified: it was 2°C (36°F) outside, and I was dizzy enough from the fever that attempting to get myself and the wheelchair down the stairs and out of the building seemed more like movie stuntwork than an everyday task I’m used to. I had often gotten house calls when I lived in Poland, and gotten a few in Ireland too, so I didn’t think it would be much of a problem here in Germany. 

You’d think after 15 years traveling, I’d have learned not to assume things about other countries.

The joy of travel is the joy of discovering what’s different, but this was one time when I was hoping for the same. Doctors do make house calls in Germany, but only under very special circumstances, it seems. In Poland, pick up any phone book and there are whole lists of doctors who make house calls all the time. I recall the GPs in Ireland make house calls as part of their rounds. In Germany, if you have built up a working relationship with a doctor, they’ll discuss making a house call and if they think you really need one, they’ll consider it.

So it was off to the doctor with me, bundled up so much that I looked more like a wheelbarrow full of clothes for the charity shop than a wheelchair with a person using it… but I made it there and back without incident, so I can’t complain.

Anyway, I’m back, I’m healing, and from tomorrow, I’ll be back talking about traveling again.

All the best,
Derek.

* blows the dust off the keyboard *

At the time of writing, I’m lying in a hotel room, legs under the blankets, trying to get my knees and feet warm after a long walk. The winter sun never quite took the chill off the wind coming in from  the North Sea, but the walk and the company were great.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, Rolling Traveler has been rather inactive of late, as I’ve had to take some time off to put my house in order. I’ve also taken the opportunity to rethink the blog somewhat, and I will soon be unveiling the new Rolling Traveler. It’ll still be all about my experiences as a wheelchair user and traveler, and contain good advice for the rolling traveler, but the focus will be a little different, more on anecdotes and personal observations, and less on city overviews and complaints about cobblestones. I’ve found it’s the personal posts that have gotten the better responses.

Check back here on Monday, December 15th to see where my rolling travels take me next. Till then, all the best,

Derek.