A special post for my friend Marcia...

CUSCO, PERU – My friend Marcia is an alpaca nut. She and her husband Ron even have a small alpaca farm, The Perkiomen Creek Ranch, just outside of Philadelphia. In fact, if you ever find yourself in the Philadelphia area give her a ring and I’ll bet she would love to give you a tour. She’s very proud of her animals and loves to show them off!

But I thought Marcia would like to learn a bit about alpaca life in South America. Being much more common here, alpacas don’t get the same red carpet treatment as their North American cousins. No Perrier water with a twist of lime in their troughs, no Lindt chocolates for winning blue ribbons, and no champagne and caviar on holidays. And they certainly never get to ride in the passenger seat of a minivan. (Ask Marcia...) No, for South American alpacas reality is more like this...

Yes, Marcia, it's real. Don't let your animals see this photo!

The number of ways you can "meet" an alpaca is limited only by your imagination. I circled my choice.

This was one of the best burgers I have ever had! Really, I'm not kidding – it was amazing! No wonder alpacas are so expensive in North America :-)