In the summer of 1995, I traveled to the northern rim of the Colca Canyon, in Arequipa, Peru, accompanied by my daughter Tina and Carlos Machicao, a colleague and friend who at the time, used to teach civil engineering at Arequipa's National University of San Agustin. Our party included a driver and a local guide.

We left Arequipa early on the morning of July 28, and after several hours of arduous travel across deep canyons and majestic mountaintops, managed to reach a town where we found many people gathered in the main plaza, celebrating the anniversary of Peruvian Independence.

Unaware of our exact whereabouts, I introduced myself to a distinguished lady in the crowd and intently asked her the name of the town. She said: "This is Machahuay."

I asked her: "Is this the town that the "Mambo de Machahuay" was named after?

She answered: "You are quite right... and I happen to be author of the song."

We were pleasantly surprised and proceeded to engage the locals in spirited conversation. Later on, accompanied by the lady, our party climbed a nearby hill to get a better view of the breathtaking surroundings. Once there, led by its composer, we sang, at full volume, the "Mambo de Machahuay."

The experience was one that would be hard to forget.

A herd of llamas at Viraco, near Machahuay, on the northern rim of the Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Peru.