Monday 28 December 2009

Australian travellogue: An alpacan moment of truth


4 Nov 2009. For a moment, we thought that we were looking at the Andean llama. However, the signboard at the Lavender & Berry Farm said otherwise. It wasn't a llama but an alpaca, and the difference between the two would be their ears. Alpaca have straight ears while the llama have banana-shaped ones. Besides, the alpaca stands smaller than their Andean cousins.

So there we were, after lunch at the Farm, and going on a walk-about around the vast land and we came across these two handsome alpaca specimens. Serious-looking specimens. Brooding-looking specimens. Cool-looking specimens. One was grazing and the other sitting still. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that it was bored.

I looked at it and it looked at me. Then it ignored me. I walked up closer to it and it still ignored me. I took a photo of it from afar and it still ignored me. Therefore, I went in even closer and its eyes started to train on me.

The next few milli-seconds went by in a blur. As I aimed my camera closer and closer to this beast, it starting some chewing motion. Then, at a most unexpected moment, just as I was pressing down on the camera's shutter button ... click, blrrt, pttui! A mouthful of alpaca spit hit me spot on. Luckily, it was only air with little bits and pieces of undigested grass and seeds, not acidic stomach contents. But yes, I was a victim of an alpaca and I lived to tell this tale....


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