Kieq Ik Wai'm Ja Restaurant & Steak House

While walking through the jostling, crowded market of Chichicastenango, Guatemala, I saw a restaurant sign pointing up a flight of stairs leading off the sidewalk. I decided to check it out and was very pleased to find the Kieq Ik Wai'm Ja Restaurant & Steak House. The restaurant was a relatively quite spot above the hustle of the market below and offered an excellent place to relax, refresh, and refuel myself at mid-day. My table was on a balcony, looking out over a sea of makeshift tin roofs and tarps that covered the stalls in the market below.

Favorite Dish: I had a chicken and rice dish, garnished with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. It was well presented and very tasty.

Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Chichicastenango, a city of about 49,000, is the metropolis of the Quiche Highlands, a remote mountain pocket of Guatemala. Surrounded by verdant mountains and valleys, Chichicastenango (often called simply Chichi) is a town of narrow cobblestone streets and red tiled roofs. It is most alive, and most often visited, on Sundays and Thursdays, which are market days. Chichicastenango has been an important trading town since ancient times and is still known for having one of the most lively and colorful markets in all of Guatemala.

was staying in Antigua, Guatemala, for a week and on Sunday took a mini bus shuttle to Chichicastenango to visit the market. The cost of $16US was very reasonable but the trip was long and ardorous. I spent a total of seven hours (round trip) crammed into the back of the crowded bus with my knees pressed against the seat in front of me and rubbing elbows with the person on either side.

The road took us by cornfields, small villages, and pine forests. More than once during the 108 km. we had to stop for road construction. The final leg of the trip into Chichicastenango was over twisting mountain roads with uneven pavement and hairpin turns. It was a very interesting journey.

Zone One, Guatemala City

Visitors to Guatemala City should be aware that there is a high crime rate throughout Guatemala, and it is higher here in the capital city than in most other parts of the country. Tourists are sometimes victims of armed robbery, rape and murder. Pickpockets and scams are common. Throughout the city you will see armed security guards in the front of almost every significant business or institution. Virtually every window has bars on it and high fences topped by razor wire are everywhere.

Your best defense is to use common sense. Don't walk the streets at night. Avoid alleyways and areas where there are no other people around. Don't wear jewelry, use a money belt, and don't let all the dire warnings keep you from experiencing this fascinating city.

Guatemala City is divided into zones. Zone 10 is reported to be the safest, and the most expensive. Zone 1, which is the historic heart of the city, is said to be the most dangerous. It is also where you will find the Metropolitan Cathedral, Plaza Mayor, and many other points of interest. I stayed in Zone 1, and as 99.7 percent of the people who visit there, I had no problems.

Guatemala Chicken Buses

The most common mode of transportation in Guatemala, and the cheapest, is the Chicken Bus. These are usually retired school busses from the United States which have been repainted in bright colorful patterns. The term "chicken bus" comes from the fact that local people riding these busses may be carrying chickens or other livestock with them either to or from the market. At peak travel times the busses are often overcrowded with many passengers standing.

Everyone should experience a chicken bus at least once. When it came time for me to travel from Guatemala City to Antigua, about an hour away, I had a taxi take me to the bus terminal. To catch a chicken bus you don't buy a ticket and there is no announced schedule. Just look for a bus that has the name of your destination listed and hop on. When I did so I handed my suitcase to an attendant who quickly threw it on top of the bus and tied it down while yelling for me to get on board. The bus was already moving when I grabbed the rail by the door and swung on.

As we traveled to Antigua the attendant came down the aisle and collected fares, which was well under $2.00 each. The bus stopped often to either let passengers on or off. Our driver relied much more on his horn than on his break. As we rounded steeply graded mountain curves I had to grab my seat and hold on tight to keep from being thrown into the floor. It was a fun ride.

Tika Bus, Central America

A handful of companies offer first class bus service connecting Guatemala City with other countries in Central America. I chose Tika Bus when I scheduled a trip from Guatemala City which took me to San Salvador, El Salvador, across Honduras, and ultimately to Managua, Nicaragua and return. Tika Bus serves the capital city of every Central American country except Belize, running from Talapan, in southern Mexico, to Panama City. The buses are modern, clean, air conditioned, and are operated efficiently. I consider their service superior to that of Greyhound in the United States.

Each bus has an onboard restroom which you will probably need because stops are infrequent. Also, the busses show movies en route. Perhaps those who ride the busses frequently appreciate the movies but I considered them a negative because I would have preferred to view the countryside and visit with other passengers instead of sitting with shades drawn watching a movie. Of the six movies shown on my entire trip, all but one was very violent and loud. Most were in Spanish with English subtitles, or vice versa.

The cost of my round trip, traveling a total of 28 hours through four Central American countries was only $90 US. The buses do not run at night but make stops where very reasonably priced hotels are available.

The Guatemala City Tika Bus terminal, pictured here, is located at Boulevard Los Proceres 26-55, Zone 10, local`s 1-2. Fun Plaza.

Hotel Posada de Belen, Guatemala City

I chose Posada de Belen as my accomodation for my first night in Guatemala City because of the the hotel's excellent website. The people who run the place were very friendly and helpful. My room was reasonably comfortable but needed better light.

Unique Qualities: There is a small but pretty interior courtyard at Posada Belen with lush tropical foilage and even a couple of resident turtles. The hotel is also something of a museum with many interesting artifacts on display. Meals are available, cooked to order and served in the dining room. An added bonus is that those staying at the hotel are allowed to make a free five minute telephone call per day to either the USA or Canada.

Drawbacks are that the hotel is on a side street and difficult to find, even with a map. The best way to get there is to have the folks at the hotel send a taxi to pick you up at the airport or bus station. My driver was waiting for me even though my plane was four hours late arriving in Guatemala City.

Also, Posada de Belen is in Zone 1, which has a reputation for being the least safe part of a dangerous city. The front door is always kept locked, bars are on the windows, and razor wire is stretched around the top of the exterior walls.

Plaza de la Constitution, Guatemala City

The central square in Guatemala City is variously known as Parque Central (Central Park) and/or Plaza Mayor (the Main Plaza.) Officially it is named Plaza de la Constitution. This is the heart of the infamous Zone One, reputed to be the most dangerous part of the city. However, it is also one of the most attractive areas for visitors since many of Guatemala City's most notable features, such as the Cathedral, museums, National Palace, and National Library, surround the Plaza.

The Plaza is always a center of activity, but especially so on Sundays. I was fortunate to be there in a Sunday afternoon, when thousands of local residents were gathered to stroll, gossip, buy, sell, dance, sing, neck, preach and play. Most of the Plaza is an open paved area, suitable for military parades and the like. There are also splashing fountains where children play and quieter shaded areas, where young lovers seem to occupy every bench.

The centerpiece of Plaza Mayor de la Constitution is the Plaza Mayor Fountain. The first fountain to be placed on this spot was in 1789. The current fountain, designed by the sculptor Rudolpho Galeotti Torres, was erected in the park in 1943.This large, sparkling water feature is a fitting hub for the circus of activity which engulfs the plaza, especially on Sundays and holidays.

The National Palace of Guatemala

Palicio Nacional or the National Palace, faces Plaza Mayor, from the north side. It was built by dictator/president Jorge Ubico (1931-1944) and is officially called Palicio Nacional de la Cultura. It is the third palace to stand on this spot.This opulant and imposing building, with polished wood, gleaming brass fixtures, carved stone, chrystal chandeliers, and frescoed arches surrounds two Moorish-style courtyards.

The palace often hosts revolving exhibitions featuring contemporary Guatemalan artists. Visitors may wander through the palace on their own or take a free tour. Unfortunately, I arrived too late in the day and was only able to see the palace from the outside.

National Post Office Arch, Guatemala City

The beautiful National Post Office Arch, a landmark in Zone One of Guatemala City, connects the National Post Office - the central post office of the nation - with another building across the street. Built in 1937-1940, it was inspired by the much older and more famous Santa Catalina Arch which is in Antigua, Guatemala's original capital city.The National Post Office and Arch is located near the corner of Avenida 7 and Calle 12.

Zone One, where this photo was taken, is considered by most travelers to be the most sketchy and dangerous part of this bustling Central American city.

Guatemala City, which residents usually refer to simply as "Guate," is a sprawling metropolis of more than 3 million people. It is the largest city in all of Central America and reflects the diversity of the entire region: old and new, rich and poor, colorful and drab. During my three day visit to Guatemala City in April, 2008, I found it to be vibrant, loud, dirty, dangerous and utterly fascinating.

Catedral Metropolitana, or the Metropolitan Cathedral, is an imposing twin towered structure in the heart of Guatemala City. It stands 300 feet long and 100 feet wide, on the east side of Parque Central. The cathedral was designed by the Spanish architect Marcos Ibáñezand and was built in the neo-classical style with completion in 1815.

Inside the historic Cathedral are many works of art that were originally in the Cathedral of Antigua Guatemala, which was the nation's first capital. The image of the Virgen del Perpetuo Socorro is the oldest image in Guatemala, having been brought into the country by Hernan Cortés in 1522.

The Cathedral also contains the first pipe organ in the country, installed here in 1937. The Cathedral has survived through three major earthquakes, in 1830, 1917 and 1976.