Mountains, Valleys and Llamas

Nothing says South America like mountains and llamas. While hiking the Inca Trail we were treated to both. When stopped on the second day (remembering the second day was the 1200m up in 10km day) we stopped for a break at a spectacular lookout. Exhausted and sore, we slumped on a rock, convinced we would not be able to walk another step and grateful for the break (we were about halfway up the climb). Our guide then proceeded to point out a flock of llamas 100-200m away. Fatigue was instantly gone and most of us raced over to stalk the llamas with cameras.

I managed to take a photo of one member of our hiking group walking towards a llama to take a photo of the llama spitting him. Got him too - they both did! Hubby got spat at a bit as well. Me? I kept out of the way of llama spit, and I did manage to capture some images that I feel scream 'I'm in the Peruvian Andes!'

Lazy llama - this guy watched me coming and didn't move for ages. He kept giving me the look of 'do I have to? Are you really going to make me move?' Canon EOS50D, f/9, 1/1250, ISO 320, 200mm

I'm in the Peruvian Andes! Canon EOS 50D f/9, 1/1000, ISO 320, 32mm.

Hiking and camping in the Andes along the Inca Trail was pretty spectacular. There are three snow capped mountains in the area that we saw the peaks of at various times. Also the flora and the way it was constantly changing from cloud forest, to grasses, to wild-flowers to scrub was exciting.

Mount Veronica. Our view from night one's campsite (albeit rather zoomed in!) Canon EOS 50D f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 125, 200mm

Red flower at our first campsite. Canon EOS 50D f/5.6 1/400, 110mm

And of course. Who doesn't love a baby llama? This guy was wandering around the third pass on day three. With mum of course, but she was no where near as obliging to the lens. I had to lighten his face considerably in Photoshop but his ears more than make up for it.

Baby Llama. Canon EOS 50D, f/5.6, 1/2000, 135mm.