Guatemala City, or as the locals call it "Guate" (wa-te) is the financial and governmental heart of the country. Like any major city it has modern supermarkets, paved roads, high rises, and continuous development along the outskirts of the city. But Guate is a mixture of old and new -- the old of the downtown area, with its majestic architecture, and the new of people driving in Mercedes, talking on their cell phones. Add the jaw-dropping views of volcanoes towering over the city and you have a vacation spot that has it all.

Guatemala is divided into 21 zones. Much like the design of Paris, the heart of the capital is Zone 1, and the subsequent zones are numbered in order counter-clockwise around it in a spiral.

Zone 1
You won't want to visit all the zones, but Zone 1 has two sites that you shouldn't miss - the National Palace, and the Miguel Asturias Cultural Center. Also in this zone is the Central Market (El Mercado Central).

From the Plaza Mayor (main plaza) walk north to see the Palacio Nacional (the National Palace). Built in the years between 1928 and 1943 it is open daily to the public. Although the whole building is interesting, the two "must sees" are La Sala de Recepcion (the Reception Hall) and the Presidential Balcony. The palace may appear green in color; the reason being that the government maintenance workers apply an oil-based paint to the building that lets them easily remove the graffiti of government protesters. Now the protesters go and graffiti the President's house.

La Sala is decorated with quetzals (the national bird of Guatemala, and the name of the currency) in brass and gold. The stained glass windows chronicle the pre-Columbian and colonial history of Guatemala. The floor in La Sala is made of cherry and walnut and when you stand in the middle of the hall your voice will carry without any artificial amplification.

As you go upstairs to the Presidential Balcony you can look out onto the Plaza Mayor and the surrounding buildings. You'll get an idea of what daily life is like from this view, watching people going to work, having lunch, and just living their lives.

Look south from the Presidential Balcony and you'll see the Miguel Asturias Cultural Center. Miguel Asturias is considered Guatemala's most prominent writer. He's the 1967 Noble prizewinner for literature and author of Men of Maize, a book about the conflict between European and Native ways of life through poetry. The cultural center, which looks a bit like a cruise ship on land, houses the National Theater and hosts many of the large concerts in the city. To find a listing of events, just pick up a Friday copy of the newspaper, La Prensa Libre (The Free Press). Most shows are rather inexpensive.

Two blocks east of the National Palace is the Central Market. The market has two levels, but both are underground. You can park at ground level above the market. The top level has the arts and crafts, and the bottom contains a farmers' market. This is the place where you can buy typical Guatemalan dresses and shirts, jewelry and crafts. The shirts come in vibrant colors and patterns, and their designs represent different native (or as they say in Spanish, tipico - typical) tribes. But you may not want to wear the shirts while in the country - it is considered rather rude to do so. You can also find pottery decorated with quetzals and Mayan serpent gods. Most of the jewelry is made of silver and jade with figures of Mayan people.

A word to the consumer, always bargain . Whatever the price, offer 40 percent less than what they are asking. Once you start to walk away, they will be more than happy to drop their prices. If you plan on buying any gifts to take back with you, buy it here. When you travel to any of the towns outside of Guate, the prices will be much higher.

Zones 9 and 10
Zones 2 through 8 are mostly residential and most visitors will find few attractions. But, zones 9 and 10 make up La Zona Viva (the Lively Zone) that you must visit. In fact, La Zona Viva is where you'll want to stay. You'll find all the hip discos, good restaurants, best hotels, and major shops. It's also a pretty safe place to party. The police are visible and there's very little crime committed in this highly tourist area.

Along La Avenida de la Reforma you'll be able to find all the big name hotels. If money is tight there are very small hotels in Zone 1 but for the extra $40 or so, stay at these very accommodating hotels in the center of the action.

Also in La Zona Viva are the best restaurants in the city. Jake's is one of the oldest and has typical dishes from Guatemala with a world-class flavor - such as turtle eggs in marinara sauce (a Guatemalan delicacy) and desserts such as Tres Leches (Three Milks) which is a pudding pie made of three different styles of condensed milk.

Other places to try are Hacienda Real for steaks, Tre Fratelli for Italian, and Los Cebillones for Mexican. For those unwilling to take a chance on something different there are the chains from in the United States such as Scholtsky's, and Friday's. There's also Guatemala's version of Kentucky Fried Chicken called El Pollo Campero (a great place if you're on a budget). While at one of the bars on a sunny afternoon, try a bottle of Gallo (rooster) beer - the favored brew of Guatemala.

Finally in La Zona Viva make time to visit the Museum of the Popul Vuh, named after the sacred text of the Mayas. It's located on the campus of the University of Francisco Maroquin. The Popul Vuh houses the most extensive collection of pre-Columbian Mayan artifacts in the world.

In Zone 13, right next to the airport, is the very large Parque de Aurora (Aurora Park). In the park you'll find the Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Archeology, and the Museum of Natural History. The museums are good archives for Guatemalan history, but are less than impressive. However, the price is rather inexpensive and if you like museums...

Traveling Around the City
Whenever possible take a cab. The bus system in quite comedic and very cheap. But these are old school buses from the US and are not the safest rides in the world. The bus drivers, and even some of the passengers, will stuff you onto the bus until you are literally sitting three to a bench or hanging from the windows and doors. It's not uncommon to be sitting next to someone with livestock.

As for driving...don't. If you do, be assertive. The city streets are no place for the timid. During the night traffic is pretty slim but during the day - be alert. Taxis are easy to catch and are probably your best choice.

The only thing more unsettling than trying to drive is trying to cross the street. Pedestrians, as an understood rule, don't have the right-of-way. The joke in Guate is that cars do stop for pedestrians... yeah, they stop right on top of them.