I'll be there for a trip next month...anything of note to see? I'll be in Guatemala City and have never been to the country before. I really wanna get one of those handmade shirts!

Are you going to be in Guatemala City the whole time? What kind of time will you have to get away and see things. Pacayo volcano is a great trip. You can see the whole city from up there. Antigua isn't that far and there are inexpensive shuttles to get there from GC. Weekends there are mayans lining some of the streets selling stuff. Maybe you can find your shirt.

Actually I was planning on going to Antigua, if it's worth the trip. I may very well hit the volcano, too, if I have time...is GC close to any Mayan ruins?

If you have the time, Flores is a great visit from which you can visit a number of Mayan ruins, including Tikal.

Antigua is beautiful BUT very touristy. Fun place for Spanish lessons and home stays. I'm not a fan of Guatemala City. TIKAL is AMAZING!!! And, from Flores you can take a boat to the little towns across the lake. Try to go to Tikal as soon as the park opens in the morning, before the sun comes up. Lots of monkeys and animals!
Lake Atitlan (sp) is beautiful, but not sure how Panajachel (sp) is in terms of beauty/safety these years...

Lots of info about Guatemala on the Lonely Planet Thorntree. We're planning to go there in January and I can't wait.

I am in Antigua now, at Meson Panza Verde. Antigua is a pretty town. MPV is a beautiful place, lots of character and charm, with an excellent restaurant.

It was only about 40 minutes from the GUA airport to Antigua. It is well worth a visit.

Antigua is a beautiful city, and you can be there in 45 minutes from Guatemala City. You can also hop a quick flight from Guatemala City and be in Flores to visit Tikal. Flight will only take 40 minutes or so, but will cost around $200 round trip.

I agree that you should get out of the capital as soon as possible and fly up to Tikal or take a one-hour shuttle to Antigua. Meson Panza Verde is indeed quite nice. Here are some detailed reviews of that one and a few other notable hotels:
http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/lux_guatemala.html

We stayed at Posada La Merced is Antigua. Lovely little hotel and reasonably priced. www.merced-landivar.com - here's a couple views I took from the roof:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1415/...1da7b8d1ce.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1213/...32b784587d.jpg