Animals

I have a new favourite animal.

My top three used to be:
1) Bears - as adaptable as us, can run faster, climb better, swim further, could be the dominant species but we got there first!
2) Goats - will eat anything, give you wool, milk and meat, just the thing you need on a dessert island (as long as you keep them under control)
3) Cats - absolutely no useful qualities at all except they are good to stroke and don't pester you all the time.
But now all that has been changed.

Ladies and gentlemen we have a new number one. Zooming in from nowheresville, North West Argentina (and other points on the South American map), the new number one is LLAMAS

Delightful creatures:

• give you wool;


• will carry your heavy loads (but not you);


• give you milk;


• and meat.

Don't you just love their ears, the way they curl inwards. I think that's what makes their faces so sweet.

As a member of the camelid family (and distant cousins of the camels of Africa/Asia) they have a reputation for spitting. It's true they do spit, but only when you get in their face. If you're close enough to be spat at by a llama, then you're probably annoying it. Offer some food and a little respect and you'll probably be able to touch, hold, hug them unspittled (they're not stupid either).

Now in English we say 'larmer' (rhymes with calmer) but here in Argentina they are called 'sham-a'(rhymes with rama-lama-ding-dong). So I should have called this post Shiralee and the Llamas.

Oh btw here's some photos....

This is a llama we nicknamed spitty - because he spits


and here's a shot of his backside


This one was a little shy...


but it didn't stop me from trying (and failing) to get a good shot


But here is the piece de resistance

Shiralee feeds Llama (I'm the one in blue). Don't you love our matching hairstyles?

Indeed the cycle of life was completed on this holiday. On Friday I fed the llama (see photo above), on Saturday I bought a llama wool ruana...


...wonderfully warm. Then on Monday I bought some llama wool gloves and finally, on the following Tuesday, the cycle of life was indeed completed - llama fed Shiralee. Oh yes, we have no time for sentiment in this blog. Llama is very good eating - the meat is slightly chewy but it's light and tasty - highly recommended.