Llama and blue ribbons

On July 17 we went to Llama Fest, a Peruvian Festival at our local Hare Krishna temple.
This event was just absurd enough to be perfect.

We have hit up the Hare Krishna temple for other events before, Festival of Colors and India Fest. And they know how to throw a good party.

When we first arrived, the llamas were all gathered in a gazebo.
I noticed a friend of a friend holding the reins of the llama, laughing that someone just handed them to him.
And then he proceeded to pass them along to me.

Initially I was grossed out. My llama reins were moist. (Not wet, but moist. That is how gross they were. They deserve to be described by a word like moist.) And my llama was temperamental and a tad moody.

We first were judged by appearance. Which confused me, mostly because the judges owned all of the llamas, but the participants were all along for the ride. I only held onto the smelly reins because I had heard rumor that there was a llama race. And I would be darned if I was not a part of that race. As I waited and bonded with my llama, people would come by and ask to take pictures with "my" llama. (His name was Wind Star.)

Shockingly enough, some people are 'llama people'. When mine would misbehave, this girl would say "Last year, I learned..." and "llamas usually are like...." They have a cult following.

OK, finally race time. We were instructed to run down the dirt road, up a hill and around a tower and back down to the finish line. (For those who want the quick version, race starts 30 seconds in and watch the finish line at 1:10. I don't know how to edit video.)

And it was.....

STEPHANIE AND WINDSTAR
FOR THE WIN!

Can you handle it? 

Me neither. 

I was told by the llama expert to not look at your llama when you pull him and he will follow you.
So I pulled hard, never looked back and hauled it.
 

Baby llama. Much cuter than an adult llama. And way less moody.

While my llama never spit, I was sneezed on, which I declare to be equally disgusting.
And while we fared well in the llama race, Windstar was not feeling it for the obstacle course and we failed miserably. I did the obstacles and he just walked along the side. Nice.)

The fabulous spectators.
They waited with me while I held the reins and cheered me on through the llama events.

Llama Fest, you will definitely go down in history.