Turism och modern livsstil skadar traditionellt leverne

Nestor Carpio, frail at 89, says he doesn't expect to live as long as his father Miguel, who reached 124 and made this tiny valley famous around the world for the longevity of its inhabitants.

These days, the famous elders of Vilcabamba are dying at a younger age, the result of the stresses of modern life brought by the scores of tourists and health buffs who flock here in search of eternal youth.

"Before life was tranquil, now the town has turned too big," said the bespectacled Carpio, sitting outside his adobe home as cars blasting techno-cumbia cruised nearby. "The really old ones are dying off quickly."

Gangs of youths drinking beer and smoking around the village's main square contrasted sharply with the hardy elders carrying the day's harvest of potatoes, onions and herbs through the steep roads of the Ecuadorean Andes.

Old timers say modern life has encroached on and disrupted the valley's tranquil and carefree lifestyle, which was key to their longevity.

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Nelson Jurado, a gerontologist who has studied Vilcabamba's seniors, said that a delicate balance between good genes and a healthy environment has helped prolong lives. ¹

Den moderna globaliseringen tar så sakteliga död på traditionella, hälsosamma kulturer.