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Perhaps the crown jewel of Guatemala is Antigua Guatemala. 400 year old Spanish colonial with cobblestone streets, surrounded by three volcanoes. It is also the weaving capital of the region.

But I noticed that every city in Guatemala has a completely different character. Guatemala City is pretty run down, but still has some great classic 1940s-style hotels and pleasant museums.

It’s definitely worth it to shell out the bucks for a taxi instead of riding on one of those *%*&%^ buses, though.

Thanks for your input. Antigua is definitely on my "must see" list. I went to Tikal as a side trip from a long stay in Belize, where I tried to absorb as much Mayan stuff as possible. At the time relations between the two countries were very bad. Guatemala doesn't recognize Belize anyhow -- all the maps showed it as Guatemalan territory. Just getting across the border on an organized tour turned into a rather scary adventure, and that set the tone for much of the visit.

I plan to focus just on Guatemala on a future trip. I seem to be drawn to places subject to military upheavals and civil wars. I'm headed to Sri Lanka in the spring if hostilities between the Tamil Tigers and the Sinhalese permit. If not maybe I'll switch plans to Guatemala. Any advice on the best months to visit? I hate really hot weather and don't want rain to spoil things!