During my stay in Adelaide, I had a moment of delightful nostalgia. Spotting a stack of encyclopedias on the floor of the apartment, my initial reaction was surprise. ‘Wow, I haven’t seen those since… well, forever!’ A complete set of the Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedia, including the bonus dictionary.
For those who remember the 70s and 80s, Funk & Wagnalls was the go-to home encyclopedia, a weekly installment purchase that stretched out for what felt like forever. It was a blast from the past, especially since my niece’s set was lost in the 2022 Lismore flood.
Seeing them again gave me a good chuckle and reinforced the distinct 80s vibe of my apartment-style hotel room.
The room itself was spacious, essentially a one-bedroom apartment, which I appreciated.
However, my recent experiences with an amputation and a broken hip have highlighted the importance of asking more specific questions when booking accommodation.
This trip was my first hotel stay since my amputation almost two years ago, and while I’d been managing okayish physically until the hip fracture, navigating stairs and accessibility issues became significant challenges.
I encountered stairs that were more difficult than anticipated and a shower stall without a seat or bath where I could sit down, which meant I haven’t had a proper shower for a couple of days.
It’s a lesson learned: I need to be more proactive in inquiring about accessibility features for future travels.
Another unexpected aspect of the trip involved the wonderful wheelchair assistance booking with Jetstar. While I’ve had positive experiences in the past, I discovered their counter at Adelaide Airport only opens two hours before the flight. Arriving about three hours earlier meant I couldn’t arrange assistance or even check in. Because I’d ordered wheelchair assistance, the checkin function on the app was greyed out.
Thankfully, the staff at the Qantas Club, where I’m a member, were incredibly helpful. Despite the reciprocal relationship between the airlines, they weren’t able to log in to the system themselves, but they contacted Jetstar personnel who came to the lounge and sorted everything out. It was a seamless resolution to what could have been a frustrating situation. Many thanks to all staff involved, especially the flight attendants who were able to push me around on the wheelchair. Great stuff!
Yes, I had a set in the 1980, although we used to mispronounce the name somewhat. But they would be out of date so quickly as technology took off.