Machu Picchu and You

In the past, on this day 1st August, “stuff” has happened. WW I stared (1914). MTV did its maiden broadcast (1981). Also on this day in 1961, Six Flags opened. There, a burger cost 50 cents and a soda 10 cents! Angus Gilchrist Wynne, its founder, named the property, Six Flags after the six flags of the different nations that governed Texas – France, Mexico, Spain, the Confederate States of America, the real USA (ok, the Yankees) and the Republic of Texas. At the Six Flags Theme Park you have a variety of choices to pee your pants. So always go in black colored shorts. The demonic rides are – Tatsu, Drop of Doom (yes, honestly named), Goliath, and a frighteningly innocuous thing called X2. Basically, the idea is to make you dizzy and excited. On July 27th, 2017, I found a hugely better alternative.

I visited Machu Picchu in Peru. At 8,000 ft it is in the clouds, a truly magical place first inhabited 1450 AD. Getting there is not easy – you fly to Lima, then Cusco and then take a train up to one of the modern wonders of the world.

In Cusco, we met Pancho – a 5 month old Llama who was Merriam’s definition of cute. We decided to name him Pancho Llamakins because he was loveable and very demanding at the same time – like our clients. We fed him bottles of milk and he posed after he was done with my daughter (pic at the top of this post). A Tamil song incongruously called Kilimanjaro, composed by Oscar winner A. R. Rahman, was filmed at this place. Actors Rajinikanth (a Marathi born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad) and Aishwarya Rai (Miss World 1994) dance to a choreographed number created by the brother of Prabhu Deva (a legend in the South of India). And Kilimanjaro is the home of Esmeralda, our mascot. Oh, so many connections, plots, messages, meanings!

Rajnikanth is THE superstar of Tamil Nadu (even though he is Marathi), just like MGR (who was Malayalee). The moral of the story is that it does not matter who you really are. It only matter what people think you are.

How about being genuine so that you really are what people think you are.

Be you. Be us. Be BORN.

Think about that.

Onwards. Upwards.

Your Fearless Follower

Dilip Keshu