Zona 10/Zona Viva

Zona 10 is known as Zona Viva because of its nightlife. Many museums, hotels, restaurants and shops are located in this area. It’s the safest zone in Guatemala City (and the most expensive) and you can feel secure going out at night here.

Museo Popul Vuh, 6 Calle Final, Universidad Francisco Marroquín. The private Popul Vuh Museum on the Marroquín University campus has an excellent collection of Maya relics, including polychrome incense burners, burial urns, carved wooden masks and traditional textiles of great historical and scientific value. In another room there is a collection of colonial art and silver objects.

There is also an accurate copy of the Dresden Codex – one of the few remaining Maya books. This was one of the first Mayan manuscripts brought back to Spain by Hernán Cortés in 1519. No one understood the language but the book was still considered a trophy and was given to a member of the Spanish royal family in Dresden. Thus the book became known as the Dresden Codex. It remains one of the few examples of Mayan literature. Most Mayan manuscripts were burned in 1562 by Fray Diego de Landa at his monastery in Man, Yucatán for being works of the Devil. This vicious destruction of the culture shocked even the Church and as penance Diego de Landa was instructed to write a book about the Maya. Relación de las Cosas de Yucatán (today entitled Yucatán Before and After the Conquest, Dover Press, 1978) was published in 1566 and remains the most significant record we have of Mayan beliefs, customs and history.

The museum offers a special tour for children which includes some quick lessons on how to decipher a few hieroglyphics in the Dresden Codex. An on-site gift shop sells books, magazines, posters, calendars and paintings about the Maya culture. Open 9 amto 5 pm, Monday to Friday, and 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays. Admission is Q20 for adults, Q6 for children.

Museo Ixchel del Traje Indigena, end of 6 Calle, Campus de la Universidad Francisco Marroquín,  /fax 502/331-3739. This museum specializes in beautifully curated exhibits of Guatemalan textiles. Its permanent textile collection has samples from over 140 communities spanning several decades. It also runs several research and preservation programs dedicated to indigenous textiles. A permanent watercolor collection by Carmen L. Patterson depicts the various traditional Maya costumes, while paintings by Andres Curruchich document the daily life of the Kaqchiquel Maya.

The Museum of Children and Young People (Museo de la Ninez y de la Juventud) is part of the Textile Museum and offers children’s programs in anything to do with textiles, including painting, embroidering, weaving and using natural inks. There is also a small café, art gallery, bookstore and gift shop. Open 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, and 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays. Admission is Q20 for adults, Q6 for children.

Avenida La Reforma. This avenue runs along the boundary of Zones 9 and 10. Originally built in 1897 by President Barrios, who named it Boulevard 30 de Junio, its design was based on that of the Champs Elysées. The name was changed to Avenida La Reforma to honor Barrios, who was nicknamed The Reformer because of all the changes he brought to the country. Many historical monuments line this avenue and the whole street has been named a National Heritage Site. The avenue begins at Plaza Obelisco, where the eternal flame of Guatemala burns.