Into The Future and Back

By Cathy Spalding
www.gentlespiritllamas.com
www.gentlespiritalpacas.com

As spring began to unfold across North America, I had the great fortune to move immediately forward in time to beautiful New Zealand where the leaves were already turning to brilliant fall colors. And, as is surely never my intent, I again found myself amidst a seemingly self-created predicament. I am accompanied to each and every clinic by at least one of my traveling teachers, a llama and/or alpaca skull. Earl, the llama, accompanied me to New Zealand. In carefully packing Earl, it had never occurred to me that I was about to enter one of the highest bio-security countries in the world.

Our jumbo jet landed in Auckland at 5:30 in the morning and I was fortunate to be among the first large group to pass through security and enter the bio-security area. A uniformed officer stood before each of the eight large stainless steel tables carefully inspecting all manner of incoming items. I watched as some items were returned to their owners and others confiscated and destroyed. Then it was my turn. I carefully unwrapped Earl, my llama skull, and placed him on the cold steel table.

The room fell silent. Officers and travelers alike locked eyes on Earl. Being only his “second day on the job,” my particular officer felt he definitely needed assistance. As the seven other tables cleared, one by one every officer in the place -- including now supervisors -- gathered around me pondering what to do with this obviously old and well-traveled llama skull. We were now the only ones in that large sterile room. Outside, the waiting line was seriously building as the fascinated officers asked questions about llamas in general and marveled that there were no upper front teeth. Though the consensus was that Earl likely posed no threat to the bio-security of New Zealand, no one wanted to shoulder the responsibility should that judgment somehow be in error. I was given three choices: destroy him; have him vacuum sealed and stored at the airport for pickup on my way out of the country or; send him to the Ministry of Agriculture Quarantine Service to be fumigated and issued a bio-security authorization/clearance and entry certificate. I chose the latter. Earl was whisked away as the enormous line of weary travelers gave a collective sigh of relief.

Jenny Arscott and Geoff Clarke of Willows Reach at Kumeu, Auckland, hosted my first clinic. I greeted Geoff outside security and am sure he had some serious second thoughts upon learning that the first thing I needed to do was borrow money to pay for Earl in quarantine. Somewhat puzzled, he paid and immediately turned me towards a large window labeled “Money Exchange.”

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