Day 1 / June 21, 2013 My day started early, but I was so happy to be traveling to Peru and flying out of my home airport Gainesville, FL! I was accompanying my colleague Frank Richmond on the “shadow” trip on the first running of our Road Scholar program, The Incas and the Amazon, an active 12 night program for grandparents and their grandchildren. We headed down 5 days in advance of the group to make sure all was in order. I had not been to Miami airport in so long and I found the facilities to have been updated and improved, but still very much the same.  We enjoyed empanadas at La Carrera Restaurant and some awesome coffee.  In fact that was the last cup of great coffee I had until I returned! For coffee producing countries, a cup south of the border is plain disappointing! The first night was spent at the airport hotel the Costa del Sol, which is literally across the street from the airport!

Day 2 / June 22, 2013 - Lima We actually stayed in Miraflores for meetings and I had the morning to explore on my own. I walked a block east and then took a turn north and found Peru’s equivalent to Whole Foods. It was awesome. So cool that you can buy snacks and lower priced bottled water in any of the many grocery stores or mini markets found around the Casa Andina Select Hotel. Also there are some pharmacies in case you forgot something for your toiletries kit! From there I made my way to El Malecon which is a seaside park with paved sidewalks for walking or running and a few shops and restaurants. You will have great views of the ocean from here, as well as local people out and about.

Later in the afternoon we took a taxi -- $8 one way and $10 on the return – to the Larco Museum. The Larco Museum is beautiful and has a really nice collection of pre-Colombian Peruvian art.  For me this museum is not so large that you would get overwhelmed or worried that you can’t get through it in time. The Inca erotic exhibit is separate from the main building and is next to the restaurant so there is the option of not visiting if not appropriate for your party. There are two very nice gift shops as well that feature some of the finest reproductions of pre-Colombian Peruvian art in 18 carat gold as well as fine sweaters, coats and accessories made from the finest vicuna, alpaca, guanaco and llama wool.

The restaurant is pleasant and the food was delicious, but by dinner they had run out of some of the dishes. The taxi back was less than a dollar more and it was dark, which usually means it is a lot more expensive.

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