We arrived in Lima early so there was enough time for a cooking class and a visit to the Larco Museum which is a must to learn about Inca and pre Inca art, history and culture, so the rest of the trip makes more sense.

If there is a city that gathers everything necessary to offer an unforgettable gastronomical experience, it is Lima. Since its foundation and throughout the last 500 years the natives of Lima have been incorporating all the customs of the different people of the world that were settling their lands which has contributed in making the cuisine of Lima a delicious fusion that mixes a balance of Chinese, Japanese, Inca, Spanish,Italian, and African influences. This has also been possible due to the variety of ingredients that you can find in Lima’s markets. We visited a local market where we found an array of exotic fruits and vegetables. Then, we visited Señorio de Sulco restaurant for a Cooking demonstration followed by lunch.

After lunch, we drove to the Pueblo Libre district to visit the Larco Herrera Museum, housed in an 18th century colonial mansion that hosts the most extensive collection of pre-Columbian art in Peru. It contains fine examples of textile work, one of which has a world record-breaking 398 threads per inch, as well as the tools ancient Peruvians used to produce metals, huaco ceramics and gold and silver pieces with semiprecious stones.

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INVITATION TO OUR TRAVEL AGENTS
Minas Gerais & Pernambuco Workshops - December 2009
New York - Chicago - Miami - Boston - DC - Philadelphia
The State Tourism Boards of Minas Gerais and Pernambuco would like to invite you to discover new Brazilian destinations trends in a series of workshops and cocktail receptions in various cities around the USA in the coming weeks.

Please find the details below.

New York - Tuesday, December 1st,5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
The Plaza Hotel
Central Park South & 5 Ave
Manhattan, New York, NY 10019

Please RSVP directly to: ny@gauche-eventos.com.br

Chicago - Wednesday, December 2nd, 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
The Omni Chicago Hotel
676 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611

Please RSVP directly to: chicago@gauche-eventos.com.br

Miami - Thursday, December 3rd, 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Ritz Carlton South Beach
One Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139

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If the booming tourism in Australia and Spain is any indication of what the future holds for Rio after the 2016 Games, we can safely anticipate great numbers of tourists for years to come, however what factors are needed to assure or insure safety and social responsibility?

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About Fernando de Noronha - Brazil’s mystical paradise

First let me say, being married to a Brazilian and also living in Sao Paulo back in the early 2000’s, I always heard Brazilians speak about Fernando de Noronha as a mystical place and their most cherished Eco and Diving paradise, almost “garden of eden” type folklore. I always wondered if it would hold up to all my expectations to be the perfect special honeymoon destination; bountiful diving and snorkeling, romantic sunsets, and exotic and unique beaches. Would this destination, with its very steep prices, eco-taxes and hard to get to reputation, live up to all the hype?

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Vip Tour Group is an active member of the Brazil Tour Operators Association.

The BTOA has proudly launched it's new BTOA Cares Program to support NGO’s in Brazil that promote social change and sustainable tourism. They have chosen Estrela Brasil in Salvador to be the first recipient of our new BTOA Scholarship called the “BTOA Cares Community Development Tourism Grant”.

Estrela Brasil has been developing community tours in partnership with local grass-roots initiatives, improving livelihoods of Afro-Brazilian youth & women and ensuring balanced cultural exchange between tourists & locals. Since Salvador is a destination that all our members actively sell, this was a perfect fit for us to start a mentor and support relationship with Julia and Estrela. These local teens will now take English classes and on-site tourism training to becoming guides for communities in which our member companies already do business.

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By Felipe do Brazil & Michael Eiseman - guest photos by Scott Haber and Caroline Nakao.

See also: The Chronicles of Felipe do Brazil at http://rhythmofhope.spaces.live.com/

From 2001 through 2009 Brazilians at the Indianapolis 500 have led 34% of laps and won 44% of the time!

With five talented Brazilians in the field it seemed four might finish in the top-ten, and at one tme Brazilians ran 3, 4, 5, and 9. Then one after another Brazilians fell out of the race to accidents caused by contact and mechanical failure. But the final Brazilian on the track, a man who only weeks earlier was on trial and we all feared might never race again, retstored our joy!

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"Brazil Now" Packages starting at $599 get you round trip air from Miami, with a starter package of 2 nights/3 days in Rio including airport transfers, hotel, breakfast and hotel taxes. This starter package allows you to get to Rio and then choose add-ons such as Buzios, Angra dos Reis, Salvador, Trancoso, or Iguassu Falls to make your customized Brazilian package.

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By: Donna Tunney
April 30, 2009

Revenue from foreign tourists visiting Brazil in 2008 topped $5.7 billion, a nearly 17% hike over the previous year, according to the World Tourism Organization. The news brings a smile to Michael Eiseman, founder and president of VIP Tour Group, which packages luxury itineraries to Brazil and other South American countries.

"Brazil has finally arrived as a world-class luxury destination," said Eiseman. "Brazil is a unique destination to sell alone, not [just] included in some watered-down South American [tour] or cruise."

And, he added, there are "new, hip, trendy, luxury places" such as Trancoso, Florianopolis, Buzios and Leblon. It's not just Rio de Janeiro anymore, according to Eiseman, whose company, based in Lawrenceville, Ga., launched its Brazil programs 10 years ago.

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Patrice Graviere’s long romance with Argentina goes back to when he was two years old, only a young child arriving in Buenos Aires from his native France. This romance has continued to this very day. During most of his childhood he watched Argentina’s top polo players like Dorignac, Alberdi, Harriot and Heguy at the Tortugas Country Club, the Hurlingham Club and Palermo. It is Patrice’s fascination with Polo and the Argentine Pampas what probably drove him to find a perfect setting to build his dream house. The dusty roads of La Pampa led Patrice to the old cottage in San Miguel, which would years later become Estancia El Rocío. It was the wide variety of birds that flew into the area (San Miguel is perfect for bird watching) and the wonderful trees that surround the colonial cottage that drove Patrice to buy the place.

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Cavas is a heavenly boutique hotel with top notch cuisine and a fantastic spa, in the heart of Mendoza wine country! This new Mendoza jewel is perfect for honeymooners and couples seeking something different. Cavas offers luxury and chic without being remotely pretentious. The charming setting amongst the vines and against a backdrop of the nearby snow-capped mountains, all is designed for romance. The original artwork in the entrance and lounge is filled with striking sculpture and modern paintings.

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