OK, so they weren't high in the Andes. Nor were they roaming the hills being shepherded by native Bolivian alpaca herdsmen. Rather, it was a very pleasant farm, about an hour outside DC, run by a lovely couple. The Alpaca Full Moon Farm welcomes visitors and is an adorable place to visit. I owe Justin a huge thank you for arranging the entire trip and to the rest of the crew as well for being such good sports and going along with this crazy idea. It was a gorgeous afternoon in October. Sunny and warm. Just right for getting out of the city.
The alpacas themselves were everything I imagined they would be and more. So friendly and approachable. And so soft. I think they were only about halfway through their growing season (they are sheared in April) and they were already mighty poofy. You can pet them and pat them on their moppy heads. Though they are more likely to come close to you if you have food in your hands.
They are gentle and have no upper teeth (so they can't bite you) and will eat right out of your hand. Apparently they only spit at one another and I think it's safe to say that we all came out clean.
After we cleaned out their gift shop we went down the road to a winery and enjoyed the scenery. A few bottles of wine, an extensive cheese platter and a few olives didn't hurt either. All in all, it was an absolutely fabulous day.
To be honest though, I've been a little reluctant to write this post. Probably because it brings this blog full circle about 2 years sooner than I intended. As I mentioned before, it's not in the cards for Bob and me to return to Bolivia. As luck would have it, that's not all bad. There are many things about Bolivia that make it an undesirable destination at this point in time. But, we had spent so much time preparing to go there that it feels very odd not to return.
That being said, since I last wrote, Bob returned to the States, we got a new assignment and we have already moved on. We're now living in Belgrade, Serbia. I'm starting up a new blog and trying to get my head around Eastern Europe.
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