What an interesting, awesome day. Picture this scenario: Wendy sitting in front of a large, overwhelmingly male, group, talking about sexual issues (fortunately, I had a translator) with a powerpoint slide in the background showing different sexual positions. And that slide stayed up for a long time. There has to be a sitcom in there somewhere.
We left Antigua at 6am for the hospital La Rehabilitacion in Guatemala City. It took us close to 3 hrs instead of the 45 min it takes without traffic. Driving in Guatemala City is very unappealing.
Well, I don't know how to say "penis" or "vagina" in Spanish, but I did manage to convey my story, my thoughts/experiences on SCI, women and sex. The four of us sat in front of a large hall, filled with perhaps 50 people. There were 4 women, and they were extremely shy about asking questions because Guatemalan society is quite conservative. I was super-impressed by the section on women & sex that the hospital gave. They did a much better job than anybody in the U.S. Who would have thought, a Catholic country which gives better sex education (related to SCIs) than the US.
The rehab facility reminded me of a well-run military school more than the hospital experience in the US. I saw a group of people doing exercises to the beat of a drum. This is the only facility of its kind in Guatemala. I was expecting chaos, long lines, but it was orderly, clean, spacious.
I talked about my post-accident sex life (without going into much detail), the logistics, physical and emotional components. I was very frank and I think that shocked people. I'm glad one woman came up to me with a question in the end.
We then drove around Guatemala City (nightmarish) looking for a bookstore with no name. Names are surprisingly useful.
It always feels good to return to Antigua.
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