To the west of Lago de Atitlán, the highlands rise to form a steep-sided ridge topped by a string of forested peaks. On the far side of this is the Quetzaltenango basin , a sweeping expanse of level ground that forms the natural hub of the western highlands. It was here that the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado first struggled up into the highlands and came upon the abandoned city of Xelajú (near Quetzaltenango), entering it without any resistance. Six days later he and his troops fought the K'iche' in a decisive battle on the nearby plain, massacring the Maya warriors. Legend has it that Alvarado himself killed the K'iche' king, Tecún Umán, in hand-to-hand combat.

Totally unlike the capital and only a fraction of its size, Guatemala's second city, QUETZALTENANGO ( Xela , pronounced "Shay-La"), has the subdued provincial atmosphere that you might expect in the capital of the highlands, its edges gently giving way to corn and maize fields. Bizarre though it may seem, Xela's character and appearance is vaguely reminiscent of an industrial town in northern England - grey, cool, slightly dour and culturally conservative. Ringed by high mountains and bitterly cold in the early mornings, the city wakes slowly, only getting going once the warmth of the sun has made its mark.