The National Musuem
Trip Start
Aug 01, 2007
1
18
39
Trip End
Sep 16, 2007
Guatemala City,
Guatemala
Friday, August 17, 2007
The morning was a little cold and I took a taxi from the hotel to the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. I got to the museum as it opened at 9 AM and spent a little over an hour walking through the galleries. The museum was very small and most of the explanations where in Spanish.
The musuem was divided into three periods, preclassis, classis and post classic. They had a very good selection of Maya artifacts. And I enjoyed the wonderful selection of stalaes, which are sculptures that recorded information about the rulers, families and conquest of other cities.
Walking back from the musuem I found myself along Avenue La Reforma and in Zona Viva
Guns for sale in the food court 1
. Zona Viva is the most upscale part of town with a slew of expensive hotels, offices, resturants, nightclubs and the third largest mall in Guatemala City. It felt as if I was back in the states, except for the throngs of people that filled the streets and cars that didn't stop for people. Zona Viva is the exception to Guatemala and not the norm. After spending time in the impoverished highland villages, seeing Zona Viva was a shock. I walked through the mall because I was curious at which stores they had. There were more shoe stores than one can even imagie! Also, I noticed that there was a store that sold guns ... and other assorted large rifles right in the open food court. Yeah, that would never fly back in the states.
Afterwards, I had lunch at a little place that was hidden from the street and had a delicious slice of chicken pie. My shuttle to Antigua was leaving the hotel at 2 PM, so I hightailed it back.
I met another person who was traveling to Antigua from the hotel and we ended up having dinner together in Antigua. I stayed at a nicer than average place mainly because I did not want the hassle of finding a room late on a Friday. But I must say the extra money was worth it. I had my first HOT, not lukewarm, but hot shower since I arrived in Guatemala. It was wonderful! I also slept really well. I feel that I haven't slept very well since got to the country, with a few exceptions.
Comments
you got to be kidding me?
guns in a food court?
do you want an M16 with that happy meal sweetie?
wow.
-rajiv