Llama Trekking February 1, 2020

When a friend mentioned llama trekking, I had no idea what to expect. But animals were involved, so of course I was game!! When Chantel and Barry visit, we have to pack a lot of fun in the trip. Day 1 – Llama trekking at Divine Llama Vineyards in East Bend, NC. Add our friends Patty (Happy Birthday trip!!!) and Cathy and off we go while mom stays back at camp to babysit her granddog. 

We arrive at a fledgling vineyard which also has llamas!! 95 acres with about as many llamas. We stopped by for a wine tasting, then walked up the hill to check out the llamas before our trek. Oops, we were late so caught a ride up the hill on the Gator. And so the trek began. Mike, who owns the llama portion of this enterprise, talked to us all day long about llamas, even sharing reasons why llamas are better than alpacas. Such an incredible wealth of information! He gave us the rules of the trek – mainly, keep a llama distance between your llama and the one in front. If you fail to do this and one llama runs up the butt of the other, well, let’s just say there might be some spitting going on!!! 

If you are looking for a unique and fun outing, please check out Divine Llama Vineyards. It’s amazing! 

https://www.divinellamavineyards.com/ #divinellama

Welcome to Divine Llama Vineyards!
Cathy and me
Chantel and Barry
A little llama meet-n-greet before the trek
This is Merlot, who I trekked with. (Didn't know we would be together when I took this pic!)
There are two types of camel "spit." The first is more like a sneeze and only mildly unpleasant, or so Mike told us. The second is actual cud regurgitated from their stomach and it is VERY unpleasant, according to Mike. To avoid llamas spitting? Don't run another llama into his butt...
Feeding time!
Patty, Chantel and I with our llama friends
When the owner Mike calls "Come here, girls," they all come running!!!
On the way to meet our trekking partners, we walked through one of the paddocks. These are all the ladies, with lots of babies. Can't have the boys and girls together unless you are prepared for babies in a few months!!!
There shouldn't have been babies at this time of year, but a rude guest thought it would be funny to let the boys and girls together. So, babies in February!
So you want a llama for your house. How much are we talking?? Hmm, anywhere from $1500 to $15,000!!!!!
Only male llamas go on the treks because, well, you know how females can be... Mike determines which babies may work well for trekking and they start training at about 1 year of age.
As herbivores, their poo is pellets! It comes out ready to be planted - it has the perfect balance you are looking for when you shop for topsoil. The farm collects the manure and makes a (HUGE!!!!) pile of it. Then it is sold for mulch.
Now to meet our trekking partners - Patty with Eco
Barry with Bentley
Cathy with Rolling in the Dough, aka Dough
Chantel with Graydor. He had a rough summer last year - he got heat stroke and almost died.
Chantel's foot versus a llama foot. Hmmmmm
The creek where we stopped to rest and water the llamas, & people!!
Deep conversations between Barry and Bentley
Chantel, Barry and Graydor
Patty, Chantel and Eco
Chantel, Merlot and me
Not a selfie man, huh Merlot??
Merlot
Cathy and Dough at the halfway point. We can do this!!!
Chantel and Graydor
During our break by the creek, we could feed treats the llamas. Of course from our mouths!!! Chantel doesn't look too impressed....
Apparently being outside the paddock is like being in a candy store. All of the grass in their paddock is already eaten so they are in heaven with the fresh grass along the trek!!
As a non-predator, llamas don't really care to be around people so much. The owner, Mike, makes a point to hug on the babies and get them used to people and handling, but they sure don't like to be pet like dogs...
As we came out of the woods with our trekking llamas, this tuxedo llama was on sentinel duty protecting his heard. Don't get too close! He is a grandchampion llama (who knew there was a show circuit for llamas!!??!!!)
That's one way to get to the best food at the top of the pile...
Wherever mom goes, baby goes. Thanks for the great day!!!