I could show you pictures of the crumbling Spanish colonial churches or the view of the volcano from the famous Arch of Santa Catalina, but that would be like visiting Paris and showing you a picture of the Eiffel tower. Lame.
So here are some photos of the McDonald’s instead.
Even as touristy as this city is, I’ve gotta say that it’s still disconcerting to walk down the street and pass a 200 year-old statue, a Mayan woman selling beaded necklaces, a feral dog and then…an American fast-food chain.
But that’s globalization for ya.
PS I think Antigua’s McDonald’s belongs on this list, no? The Most Shocking McDonald’s Locations in the World.
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Reannon Muth is a full-time writer, social media consultant and owner and manager of the Taken by the Wind travel blog. Born in Hawaii, Reannon has lived in five countries, at Disney World and on a cruise ship. She currently lives in fabulous Las Vegas.
Ugh… definitely disconcerting. But the one thing I can appreciate is the fact that signs aren’t big and the attempt to make them blend in. But still, ugh. How is the street food there? I haven’t been to Guatemala yet, but I feel like there would likely be good street food there and no need for stuff like this!
The street food is pretty good! And inexpensive, too. You can get a whole meal (a steak, salad, soup, tortillas with beans) for two or three bucks.
I especially love the fact that you can walk up to a vendor and buy an entire sliced avacado, papaya or mango for like, 30 cents. They make better snacks then french fries, that’s for sure.
Love reading about your adventures. Wish I was there!
Big Hug!
It would be nice if fruits were 30 cents here. Hello drop in obesity rate, RIP McDonald’s.
For some reason these signs make me think of Mexico, or an old building in some Italian or Spanish city (weird huh). I guess it’s due to the colors, architecture, and the obviously old walls that they have. Now, do the restaurants live up to their outside appearance? I’ve always wondered if American fast food chains had smaller serving sizes in foreign countries.
@ Aunt Eleanor – Aww…thanks for reading! You should come visit!
@ Edd – Everyone says the food at the McDonalds tastes better here than it does in the States. I haven’t tried it yet…But yeah, the menu is altered slightly to fit the tastebuds of Guatemalans. For example, in addition to chicken nuggets, they also sell large slabs of fried chicken wings…Guatemalans love fried chicken.
The McDonalds is gorgeous inside though…It has a courtyard with a flower garden and a fountain. It’s by far the prettiest McDonalds I’ve ever seen. : )
I love the pictures. Makes the trip to a fast food joint seem a lot more special.
There was a particular McDonalds in Florence (italy) that was set in this really old stone building. It was fast food alright but somehow the burger seemed a lot more tastier (or that could’ve been just good Italian cheese).
There is something for ambience after all 🙂
i like this website it is awesome
well i been to both there mcdonalds and burgerking in Antigua never knew they had a subway lol or a dominoes i wonder when they put them in but the street food taste really good but at the same time you gotta be careful because idk if they are all sanitary ive had some bad cases with the bathroom lol but there is allot of nice restaurants there also if you want a to eat fast food there and dont want the American norm eat at pollo campero there chicken is so tasty and there deserts are so yummy to oh and i suggest you check out the market you can find giant mangos and a ton of yummy fruits 😀