Alpacas, Not Llamas

About 13 years ago, I was a missionary in Peru.  My time there is full of memorable experiences as I painfully learned to forget myself and love the people around me.  I also learned the differences between alpacas and llamas.  I further learned that while alpacas look really sweet and feel extremely cuddly with their fluffy soft fur, you really don't want to be around them very much after the first one spits in your face.

This picture is taken outside of Cusco, Peru near Chinchero at about 12,400 ft in elevation on my way to Valle Sagrado (The Sacred Valley), also known as Wilcamayu in Quechua which means Sacred River.


By the way, it is called the Sacred Valley because as legend has it, the White God came down from heaven and taught them peace and how to grow crops and blessed the land.  The Incas initially confused Francisco Pizarro with their legends of the White God who promised he would return, and initially didn't fight the Spaniards until they realized the invading Spaniards led by Pizarro were evil men.



In the above picture, the valley down below in the distance is the Sacred Valley.  The peak in the distance is called Chicon at 17,500 ft high.  There is a town at the base in the Sacred Valley called Urubamba.