The Tower of the Reformer in Guatemala City is all lit up at night. Erected in the 1930s, it was a tribute to mark the 100 years since the birth of one of their presidents who reformed the country.
This fountain in Plaza Espana in Zone 9 was built in the 1500s when the Spanish ruled Guatemala.
The Monument of the Republic is located in a very modern part of Guatemala City.
The Cathedral of Guatemala City is behind us here in the Historic Zone.
Chicken buses are seen throughout Guatemala and actually Central America in general. These old American school buses are painted vivid colors and souped up for the locals to use to get around the country. They are not too safe.
The National Palace is also in the Historic Zone, or Zone 1. It is known as the "avocado" since it is greenish in color.
This is the Avenida de la Sexta which is a pedestrian street lined with shops in the historic zone. A Gallo beer truck is seen in the back which is a national beer of Guatemala.
The Avenida de las Americas has lots of monuments dedicated to the Latin American countries. This one honors Colombia.
This run down hotel in the historic zone is where the illegal aliens who try to sneak into the US stay on their way up to Mexico.
This arch resembles the famous one in Antigua, Guatemala. It connects the old telephone office with the post office building. Guatemala has no government postal service anymore.
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Guatemala City is the capital and largest city in Guatemala.
This large metropolitan area is divided into zones.
The safest zones for tourists are Zone 9 and 10.
However, the historic zone is usually safe to walk around
during the day. Since the elevation is pretty high, the climate
is relatively mild. In winter, it can get cold at night too.
My recommendation is to stay at the Westin Camino Real.