Our Berlin dystonia group “DyD” (Dystonia and You) enthusiastically accepted a suggestion from a fellow group member to take a group trip to Brandenburg and go on an alpaca hike.
Fortunately, we found the wonderful alpaca farm in Pausin, about a 1.5 hours drive from Berlin. The farm made a pleasant impression on us and the price was affordable for chronically ill patients and the self-help group. The planning and registrations were made a few weeks in advance and it seemed like a good idea to make the trip at the end of June, as the weather is usually stable and warm at this time of year. However, on the morning of the excursion, we discovered that it was raining heavily, even though the weather forecast had not predicted any rain. We decided to give it a go despite the rain and set off.
On arrival, we were greeted by the farm owner. He was very nice and could tell us a lot about his alpacas. We got to know the animals and each participant was assigned an alpaca. The look of the alpacas, the way they moved and the sounds they made quickly put us in a joyful mood. But we also quickly realised that leading an alpaca on a leash is an exciting experience, as it is very different from a dog or pony. The route we took with our alpacas led through the middle of a beautiful forest, which actually protected us quite well from the rain. The route was also not too long and easy to manage on foot, and even our wheelchair user was able to take part in the hike.
Everyone increasingly realised that the initial excitement quickly turned into relaxation when walking through the forest with their alpaca. This is because when you walk with alpacas, you slow down. The animals don’t have any urgent appointments or deadlines – so they are utterly relaxed when out and about. At some point, the leash becomes weightless, the feet detach from gravity and the walk starts to feel like a meditation. In addition, the walk in nature and the sense of community simply feels good. One participant in our group reported that she no longer even noticed her dystonia during the walk and her pain also seemed to disappear.
After the hike, we all needed some refreshment: So the alpacas got something to eat and we also had coffee and delicious cake. We took the opportunity to talk to each other without just talking about our chronic illness. These are always very valuable moments for all of us. The symptoms of dystonia only returned for most of us on the return journey. Some feedback from the group was: “It was a great opportunity to forget about our illness and to talk about other topics.” “I really enjoyed chatting with everyone and having fun. The cute alpacas were adorable.” “It was a really nice day with everyone. The alpacas were all really cute and it was great to learn all about them and then go on the great hike with them. It was just great.” So all in all, it was a beautiful day for all of us and we can only recommend a trip with alpacas!”
Julia Künhe, Dystonie und Du, Germany
