Walking with alpacas & sparkling afternoon tea

I awoke very early Thursday morning with much excitement for a 50 something year old women. 

About 5 years ago I was introduced to a lovely lady who had moved into one of our offices. We soon found we had a lot in common and have become firm friends with trips to The Festival of Quilts  and Yarndale becoming an annual pilgrimage.   

I have seen many  adverts for walking with alpacas but never thought anyone would be mad enough to come with me, but you guessed it she was up for it. Her husband is convinced we are coming up with some sort of weird and wonderful bucket list.  Not sure that the zip wire experience in Wales is one I am up for as I am terrified of heights. 

There is something about the face of an alpaca they just melt my heart and the crazy hair styles they are given after shearing. They make my worst hair day look good.

We booked through Charnwood Forest Alpacas based on the Leicestershire/Derbyshire border. There are quite often special offers on  their facebook page groupon or wowcher and the booking system is very simple. 

Upon arrival you are given a talk about the alpacas you'll be walking with and all the do's and don'ts. They use the boys for the walks as the females are either expecting a crie or are a nursing mum.

They also have their stud boys that are kept separate from those who go walking.   We had Pundit and Saunders and they were just the gentlest of nature.

As part of your walk you go past the maternity paddock and get to see the cria's and their mothers. There was a little one who had only been born an hour before we arrived who was a bit of a surprise as he wasn't due to arrive until July.

Half way you stop in a beautiful wooded area where you can take lots of photographs and you get to feed your alpaca.  They are very astute when it comes to where you may have hidden the food.  We were warned that if you put it in your pocket they would find it and be eating it and the paper bag it comes in before you got to the woods.  They have even been known to get themselves in your handbag to find the goods.  Mine was secured in my the pocket of my jumper underneath my bodywarmer so Pundit didn't manage to find it but once we got to the woods he was definitely expecting something for his efforts. 

There are different experiences that you can book through the website we went for the 60 minute walk followed by a sparkling afternoon tea.  Nothing was too much trouble for the staff in the Chilli Bean cafe even offering to take your photograph to complete your day.  I would definitely recommend you walking with alpacas if there is somewhere in your area.  

Mx