Guatemala City

Guatemala City is the capital, largest city, and the center of everything in Guatemala. A city of over 1 million, it has cleaned itself up recently and is quite pretty in many areas.

Guatemala City is divided into "zonas" which, in their minds, is a wonderful system, but is confusing as fuck for newcomers. Within each zona, streets are numbered.

La Aurora is the city's airport, located essentially adjacent to the urban center of the city. Guatemala is a small country, so the only domestic air service is to the city of Flores, which is the city closest to the ruins of Tikal. Several car rental agencies can be found in the neighborhood near the airport, but note that most cars have standard transmission. Like in many other developing countries, public transport isn't very expansive. However, there is a new bus rapid transit system.

Contrary to what you were thinking, Guatemala City is rife with American restaurant and retail chains. There is one homegrown fast food restaurant, Pollo Campero, which is actually really great. Of course, there are plenty of traditional restaurants you can go to. Yet another thing that may come as a shock is the massive amount of security guards. Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world, so people are of course obsessed with security. Seeing fully armed guards can be a common sight.

Sights to see include the Palacio Nacional in Zona 1, the zoo (located near the airport), and Avenida la Reforma.

Places to avoid include any seedy-looking residential area, ESPECIALLY at night.