One of the new trends in travel is tours of the ghettos and slums to get an idea of how large portions of the developing world really live. There were several tours offered in Time Out Buenos Aires to visit the villas de miseria or more politically correctly: villas de emergencia in the outskirts of town.

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a charming colonial town nestled into the green mountains of Mexico's southern state Chiapas. Home of the Zapatista uprising of 1994, the feeling in town these days is much more refined than revolucionario. A few things to check out:

Although we didn't see nearly as much as we hoped with museums and events closed for swine flu, here are some great things to check out in Mexico City.

1. Any trip to Mexico City should start by reading David Lida's First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century. The book is chock-full of fun facts and interesting insight into a fascinating city.

The doorways found in Latin America (and Europe) are so much more exciting than ours... Below are a few favorites from our travels.

México, DF

Uruguay, Colonia Suiza

Uruguay, Colonia del Sacramento

España, Briones

View of the Zócalo

One of the quintessential sites of Mexico City is its main central plaza called the Zócalo. The Zócalo provides a gathering place and center of transit for tourists and locals alike. Here is a view from above, with a fun column detail demonstrating typical architectural design.