The Zona Viva in Guatemala City

Photo by galasdeguatemala.com, used with authorization.

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend and had a wonderful Valentine's day with your loved ones!

Today, I am going to start explaining that when I originally planned the order of the Journey, I did not realize how many interesting places there are in Guatemala City. I know, Guatemala City is not precisely the place of interest for most of tourists; and that is one of the reasons why I am trying to be as descriptive as I can in this virtual journey.

After last Friday's visit to the Botanical Garden and Ixchel Museum, and since today we are heading to the Zona Viva, home of hotels, restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries, I want you to know that we are going to pass by some of the largest world-class private hospitals in the city; and also close by the impressive Oakland Mall, a three stories shopping center with an indoor Merry-Go-Round for kids, bookstores, cinemas, and several restaurants, including one that is actually build inside a salt water aquarium; and last but not least, we are going to pass through the old Barrio Santa Clara (Santa Clara neighborhood), where during the first months of the year, we can be delighted with the flowers of the Jacarandas and Matilisguates, spread all over the ground as a colorful and fragrant rug.

At the end of Zona Viva we are also at the end of the Avenida de la Reforma, where we will see The Obelisk, a park that commemorates the independence of Central America and has become an important landmark in the city since its uses are diverse: concerts, festivals, parades, among others. In addition, from the Obelisk Park to the East, we could travel to El Salvador, via the Inter American Highway; to the South, we could visit the Avenida de las Americas, a boulevard built as a homage to every country in the Americas; and to the West, via the Boulevard Liberacion from where we will continue tomorrow's Journey passing by the old Aqueduct and the Flowers Clock, we are going to make a stop at Finca La Aurora.

Photos by galasdeguatemala.com, used with authorization.