What is there to do in Guatemala City?

I haven't been there since, ah, 1973..
but, we stayed in a place that had been an old convent somewhere mid city (no idea now what neighborhood) and it was great and not expensive. But then I like old places.

Ask c.i. He's been everywhere.

This site - which you've probably already looked at - seems chock full of useful info re Guatemala City itself, especially if you scroll down: http://wikitravel.org/en/Guatemala_City

I nosed around a bit online and most sites seem to do with Antigua, Panajachel, Chi Chi, yadda yadda.

Lots of comments about G. City being dangerous. Uh. I don't remember that, but I've something of a high tolerance re what a lot of travelers think of as "bad", though I wasn't in-city very long and it was a long time ago.

Don't see a lot online re a variety of hotels, though most of the "usual suspects" are listed, re big chain types. There must be more...

Oops, some places to stay listed on the wikitravel site - I hadn't scrolled that far.

Did it my usual way, landed without any plans for hotels. Unlike my usual traveling style I decided to travel even lighter than my norm (just a laptop case with an extra change of clothes and a laptop).

I was expecting to find the usual big hotels with reservation desks in the airport but I didn't see any of those so I did what I did in Panama and Nicaragua: just find a taxi, and figure it out on the fly.

I wanted internet access so that I could work during the trip, so I went with a famous name (Holiday Inn) which turned out to be walking distance from a lot of restaurants as it's in the "lively zone" (where the nightlife is).

Anyway, upon arriving here I no longer need an answer to my question. I was expecting a bigger Managua but this is a nice thriving metropolis with a lot to offer. I'm still looking for a place to get a photo of Penny but otherwise I'm sure there are plenty of great restaurants that can keep me entertained for the short time I'll be here.

If I had known what the city was like, I'd have booked more time.

Keep in mind that Penny is a very young hampster, while exploring that "lively zone".

Penny is confined to the hotel except for her photo shoot (whenever I figure out where that's going to be). But I'm not much for partying anyway, so she's not missing much (except maybe good eats).

Heh heh! Wuss!

I walked through the centre of the city with Penny on my hand on a busy Sunday, because I was late and wanted to get photos quickly.

She was actually a real ice breaker.

I'm not ashamed of her, I'm just paranoid of anything happening to her and like to travel light. She won't fit in a pocket or anything without being crushed (and she looks pretty beat up from her travels) and I just don't want to carry her around everywhere.

Fair enough.

Will be interested in any comments on the city - meantime, glad you like it, that's heartening after all the negative or semi negative comments on travel sites/guatemala I looked at.