Here's a llama, there's a llama..or is that an alpaca?

Hey there! Over the next few months this blog will be dedicated to bringing you fun facts about Peru, with the concept of smarter travelling as inspiration. So let's dive in shall we?

As a person who has never been, nor is an expert on the matter, if someone were to ask me what I believed was a symbol for Peru I would not have wasted time in blurting out "A LLAMA!"

Over the past week I have been scouring the internet for reasons as to why this is, and what the llama symbolizes to the people of Peru. 

Before we start, the name of this blog features an alpaca, and so for those of you wondering the difference between alpacas and llamas you will find a conveniently placed video at the bottom of this blog to answer some of your questions.
Approximately 5000 years ago, llamas were first tamed and have since become an important symbol in Peru. Their perseverance when under a burden represents endurance and their calm nature represents balance, making the llama one of the most respected beings across Peru.

A Peruvian girl with her llama.

Llamas had an important role in Inca culture. They were used for transportation, their wool was used for clothing and blankets and in times where food was scarce, their meat provided a source of nutrition. I find it amazing that the local indigenous people STILL use llamas for the same purposes today!

What is even more amazing is that it is not uncommon to see young children across Peru with llamas. The docile temperament and intelligence of the llama is what makes them great companions. A Peruvian child holding a young llama is such a popular photograph among travelers that it puts the llama in a special place in the country's cultural identity. This is what I believe to be the reason for my hasty response when asked for a symbol for Peru.

Fun Fact:

Llamas are very social, herd animals and do sometimes spit at each other as a way of disciplining lower-ranked llamas in the herd. A llama's social rank in a herd is never static.

So for all of you out there who still think that llamas are nothing more than fuzzy animals that spit on things, *cough* *that was me* *cough*,  I hope that reading this has changed your view and that it might provoke some further research into the stereotypes of any given country you visit.