The Beauty of Breaking Perfection

I don't know you, but watching birds moving in surprising synchronicity and seemingly making unanimous decisions in perfectly shaped patterns is a phenomenon that I've always found fascinating. I always wondered what's the motivation behind these beautiful, perfectly symmetrical bird-flight patterns? They sometimes resemble a ‘V’ shape, other times a ‘W’, but definitely never seem just casual...

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati                               

When I was in Costa Rica, I was looking at them more often than I was looking at the surfers in the ocean! Lucky me, I spent part of my journey with a lovely lady from Maryland - Kim - who teaches avian history and behaviour. She taught me what’s behind those perfect shapes: hierarchy. 
Yes, the eldest one flies in front and creates air paths that ease the followers’ flight... and so this helps the next one, and so on. I could immediately relate to that behaviour: every eldest child knows what that means. The behaviour is like brotherhood: that sense of responsibility (right or wrong) you feel towards your younger brothers, the "sacrifices" to set up rules with parents that inevitably makes your younger brothers’ lives easier, ‘till you leave and the next eldest takes the lead… 

I must admit, there is something beautiful in having this leading role, even with the attached responsibilities: you see the world with different eyes; you enjoy the pride and the adrenaline in trying something for the first time, sometimes you succeed and if not, you learn from failure… and potentially you are an example for the youngest. At the same time, being younger carries a bit of guilty pleasure in having less pressure, together with that sense of laziness you can let yourself into, till you lead the game and the rules change again. 

I couldn’t help but wonder, what if the oldest is not happy with his pre-assigned role of leading and flying regularly according the rules of nature? What if he has an inner need of flying higher towards new pastures and discovering something more idyllic? I wondered if amongst these leading birds there was someone like Jonathan Livingston. Remember the “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” novel by Richard Bach? He’s a seagull who is bored with the daily squabbles over food. So, seized by a passion for flight, he pushes himself, learning everything he can about flying, until his unwillingness to conform results in his expulsion from his flock. As an outcast, he continues to learn, becoming increasingly pleased with his abilities as he leads an idyllic life.

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati                 

I like to believe that amongst these breaks, there are some Jonathan Livingston birds that have bravely decided to discover something new and to rebel. Bach’s story is a metaphor about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe, neighbourhood or family finds your ambition threatening. By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan gets the ultimate pay-off: transcendence and freedom. 

I think there is something beautiful in breaking these perfectly symmetric bird-flight patterns: either you’re helping your younger siblings to survive or you’re seeking something extra-ordinary.

The happiest place on earth, Costa Rica

When my friend Bepi Constantino published a book called "Costa Rica, il paese piu' felice del mondo" (Costa Rica, the happiest place on Earth), I got very curious about it and started wondering why. So, as soon as I started to think where to go for a short, hot break, Costa Rica jumped up the list of options and I booked right away.

I did a bit of research trying to get an understanding about Costa Rica's superlative position, so I was a bit prepared before going, but I wanted to hear from real Ticos (that's how Costa Rica inhabitants are called). I wanted to know if a) they knew it and b) they agreed and why.

I wasn't sure where to go, so I started with Nosara and ended up spending almost all my time there, so I can't claim to have visited most of Costa Rica, but I talked with many ticos that were there, and they were from all over the country.

It was very interesting to learn that all the people I talked to, knew about this research and proudly confirmed that it was true.

The reasons given to me were diverse but 90% of them said that it was related to the fact that they don't have a military army.

Starting with the taxi driver that took us from the airport to the hostel in Liberia, he said: "because of Pura Vida! Quality of life is great, we love our nature and respect our lands. This attracts tourists and we love having foreigners here, we are very welcoming and friendly"...He was a very happy person, he started singing 'O' Sole Mio', when I told him I was Italian!

Moving on, and having to deal with a bank issue, I started talking with the bank employee (a tico) and he said that surely being the happiest place on earth had to do with the fact that Costa Rica is a very peaceful region; they refused to have a military army and - except for some dispute at the Nicaraguan border over land ownership - they don't really have any enemies. This is surely a reflection on the population's attitude to life in general, but in practice this has other advantages. The government invests money in sustainability, education and health, rather than the Army and defence. (Clever!)

Myriam - the owner of a lovely hotel set in the jungle, moved to Nosara over 15 years ago and took a more personal approach, stating that Costa Rica is safe, peaceful and "it's my paradise"... I had to agree with her.

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

Many foreigners have moved here in the past years, so how not to ask one of the gringoes I met? Casey left his studies in journalism and moved to Costa Rica to have a quieter and happier life… and he's indeed happy. Reasons: there is a sense of community and belonging that simply don’t exist in big cities like NY (where he's from). This is something recurrent in a few of the people I talked to.

Moved by the will to do horse riding, I booked a tour with a tico, so I met Juan, 26 years old, originally from Nosara and lucky me, there was only him and I during the three hours riding, so I got to ask him a few questions.

He's married with an American lady - it's very common here to find ticos and gringoes married to each other - so I asked what he thinks of the fact that many Americans are buying big parts of the Costa Rica land? Is he content with the fact that more tourism will bring more work and so more money and things to do for local people? Juan didn't seem to care of the "more" options. He said that he's been horse riding since he was 6 years old and, the road that we were riding, used to be all mountain in the middle of the jungle, while now there are roads and private properties. He said, "what I don't like about this, is that fact that the land that they buy becomes private and so we have to change our habits."

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

He took me to Playa Pelada, were ticos go on holiday, camping and mainly looking at the stunning sunset while drinking an Imperial cerveza.

While Sebastian (my horse) and Leo (Juan's horse) were having a break, I met Victor, a Tico friend of Juan, businessman from San Jose'. He was very friendly and happy to talk with an Italian lady, so he was very generous with comments and points of view to explain why they are a happy country. He talked about the lack of the army and their willingness to be peaceful as being the reasons. Additionally, they love nature and are very respectful of the environment, making them one of the greenest countries too...(maybe related?)

Apparently it is law here that for every tree cut they have to plant a new one.

Another couple of interesting chats with Ticos were about the fact that people here have a really strong family bond, and they never stray too far away from their families even when they get married. Life expectancy here is one of the longest in the world, and apparently this has to do with the water they drink, the strong family connections and the reasonable work - it's not too hard, which is reflected in the pay: just enough to sustain the family and be able to buy a beer sometimes...they are not too demanding here!

Coincidentally, I was reading “The Paradox of Choice” by Barry Schwartz, during the trip.

The connections I kept making between my Costa Rican study and the so-called first world or "more advanced" economies were unavoidable. "Paradox of Choice" is about Consumerism and how it has impacted on the happiness of people living in modern countries in a negative way; increasing levels of stress and reducing the level of satisfaction due to the overwhelming number of choices available.

The link with the following fact cannot be only a coincidence: "Britain is only halfway up the Happy Planet Index (HPI), calculated by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), in 74th place of 143 nations surveyed. The United States features in the 114th slot in the table." (The Guardian)

This quote from the book seemed to stay with me for a long time:

"Perhaps most important, if you limit the number of choices you make and the number of options you consider, you are going to have more time available for what's important, than people who are plagued by one decision after another, always in search of the best. You could use that time wisely by getting to know more deeply your lovers, your children, your parents, your friends, your patients, your clients, your students. The real challenge in life is doing the right thing in social interactions. [...] in a hurried world that forces you to make unlimited options, it's hard to find the time. You may not always be conscious of this, but your effort to get the best car will interfere with your desire to be a good friend. Your effort to get the best job will intrude on your duty to be best parent. And so, if the time you save by following some of my suggestions is redirected to the improvement of your relationships with other people in your life, you will not only make your life happier, you will improve theirs. It's what economists call "Pareto efficient", a change that benefits everybody"

The only person that was really skeptical about Costa Rica being the happiest place on earth was a gringo from San Diego. He said: “the only ones that complain here are the locals!”

Guess what? he was a property developer.

Maybe we have more to learn from Costa Rica than from America, at least if we aim to reach happiness - it’s up for grabs!

Mi Buenos Aires querida (or not)

I'm in a bar in London while I write my latest South American adventures, but I thought that it was at least fair for those that have been following me in this trip, to keep writing...and fair to myself as well for not losing the related memories...

I don't think I can express with words the excitement of me arriving to Buenos Aires...again, I was expecting seeing people dancing tango in the streets, I was expecting to eat amazing food and, as predicted by my friends, I was going to fall in love with a tango dancer and live with him happily ever after! :)
I also had planned not to move from the city for a month, and spend time learning tango, joining a painting school and just enjoying the city before going back to London...
For all these reasons I had asked Sam (my friend from London moved to BA 4 years ago) to help me finding an apartment to stay for a month.

It all looked amazingly planned, including Sam having found a place at Brie's in Recoleta - one of the poshest and safest neighbourhood in in the city...
Except that everything changed! :)

So, after having kind of settled at Brie's place...lovely big house in a very cool area, but after a little while I started to feel a bit uncomfortable.

When I arrived in BA I got in touch with Ben, an English guy met in Auckland...despite my willingness to relax, I still needed to get connected with other travellers. Ben and I went exploring the city a bit; from la Casa Rosada, to San Telmo, to Plaza de Mayo...we crossed the streets, had food in San Telmo...talked about the last month of travelling stories and had fun!

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

He talked about a place he had decided to visit just outside of the city with his friends at the Clan hostel: a Jesus theme park! Curious...

So, I went with him and his friends...we were all very excited!! They had heard about Jesus raising at the sunset and at specific times of the day for a very special moment. It was surreal and I must say the border between sacred and profane was really blurred.

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

The adventure in BA continued amazingly in various hostel, doing crazy things with other crazy travellers, but I have to be honest, I was disappointed by the food - a bad copy of the Italian food - by the fact that those that really still dance tango are the nostalgic older argentinian in hidden places in the middle of the night and I felt it was really like being in the South of Italy: nothing new.

In all fairness with Buenos Aires, though, stakes and Malbec were sublime!...ah, and the people I met, and the artistic predisposition of the city, fantastic!

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

One week in Santiago de Chile, a change of scenery!

I couldn't contain the excitement of me landing to South America...it must have been for the similarity with the culture with mine, for the long lasting love for tango, for my favourite movie and book "The house of Spirits"...and for all the other Isabel Allende's stories...but I was really happy to land in South America. First stop, Santiago de Chile.

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

I wasn't planning to do too much in a week, because New Zealand had literally sucked all the energy, so I was more looking forward to learn something about the history, get myself into cultural activities and sip great red wine while eating superb meat!
Most of the experience in Chile met the expectations...however, the change of scenery with the previous Thailand, Australia and New Zealand was clear, especially in terms of security...or the sensation of it, at least!

The first night arrived in Santiago, I went for a walk in the very central Plaza de Armas with a guy met at the (very central) hostel; in only 5 minutes I saw a couple of tourists being mugged, a homeless man laying on the floor bleeding and surrounded by people trying to call an ambulance, which didn't arrive even after half an hour and two guys fighting with a big metal chain.
Bear in mind that Santiago is considered the safest city in South America!

I met Joe (an English teacher from London) in a restaurant the day after I arrived!
In Plaza de Armas, again, I was having something resembling to a pizza and a guy at the next table was approached by a homeless man that started talking to him. Joe didn't get a word of what he was saying so didn't reply. All of a sudden, the man stole his burger and left! Joe looked around, clearly to share that moment of "incredulity"...and that's how he found my eyes looking at him with the same feeling! What do you do in these cases?? You laugh!!
So, we started to talk and share our brief South American stories. He's in Chile for one year teaching English in a private school, just moved in Santiago 2 days before we met.
Both hadn't seen anything of the city, so it seemed nice to go around and discover the city together, at least I could look after his meal and him of my camera! ;)

We went to Sant Cristobal mount with the funicular, where you can see al the city from the top! It's a very religious place, where silence and "meditation" reign! We had a bit of laugh, admired the city and took some pictures.
We went, by chance to the barrio Bellavista - well, he wanted to go but didn't know how and we arrived to the right place anyway...a lovely neighbourhood with coloured houses, painted walls with Gregory Isaac, Bob Marley and other inspiring people's faces.
Stopped to a very stylish place, had something to eat and tried the Pisco Sour...a local drink very strong, made with something stronger than vodka, lime and sugar! Well, at 4pm we were a bit, let's say, tipsy ;)

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

So, we continued exploring the city moving to barrio Brazil...met two Americans travelling and volunteering in Santiago that gave us some good tips of what to do in the city...had a strong and creative coffee and moved to the next place: "la vaca ingorda", a restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet as the best place to eat a perfect meat steak. It was absolutely perfect! I remember saying "Oh My God" at every bite, accompained by an absolutely superb Chilenian wine.
That's what I was after, landing to South America!

The following days, in the hostel I met Gabriella, a dentist from Texas trying to move to Santiago for her big passion for the South American culture, meat, wine and especially salsa!
I met 2 lovely Uruguanian cousins, Martin and Fabian, they were in Santiago because Paola, Martin's sister, a very famous house music dj, was going to perform at a party for the end of the most famous festival in South America, the Vina del Mar festival.
Ah, and one of the biggest celebrities here is Paolo Meneguzzi, an Italian singer. I saw ladies, young and not pulling their hair off for him, crying and screaming...mah!!!

It was also pretty refreshing to discover that Uruguanians are more proud of their Nation than me. Now, if you see me abroud I sound like someone hired from the Italian Government to promote the Nation abroad hearing how patriotic I am! Uruguanians compete very well! According to them, they have the best meat, the best douce de leche, the best playas and the tango has been invented (or has bourne) in Montevideo...why? Because tango borns with Gardel, which is from Uruguay, but moved to Buenos Aires as it was a richer city. Now, tango, really borns in France, earlier than Gardel, but Fabian didn't want to hear that! In the end, it's nice to live with your own convictions! I also, strongly believe that Italy is the most beautiful country in the world and I don't accept any proof of the contrary! :)

The weekend, Martin, Fabian, Gabrielle and I went to a stylish club/bar where Paola was going to perform, in Santiago...it was a very fun night...the mojtos were so strong that after the third one, I was completely knocked out and asked Fabian to put me in a taxi and send me to the hostel...
I remember meeting Antonio, Paola's manager and a lot of other men...at a certain point I was surrounded by so many men and I was looking for friendly faces to rescue me! But, no panic! They were all gay!! In the end, that bar was too cool.

Had a great week in Santiago...didn't do too much, but saw many museums, explored the city, had great meat and wine (other than these two meal, the rest of the food sucks), met great people and made myself ready to Buenos Aires.

Makarora and Queenstown with a jump in the sky

Left Franz Joseph, we moved south towards Makarora, passing by Mt Cook and other absolutely stunning sightseeings...

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

Mt Cook was named this way after Captain James Cook arrived and it's one of the highest mountains in New Zealand with its 3,764 metres. It's surrounded by an amazing National Park and if the day it's clear, you can see the reflection of the mount in the lake...it's pretty spectacular, though we weren't that lucky! It was slightly breezy and the reflection wasn't as the ones you see in the postcards, but hey...look at the pictures! :)

And the surprises never end in New Zealand...when you feel you've seen a stunning place, ready to digest it and maybe write some emotions on a paper, there you are invaded by another storm of sensations!

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

In fact, Beggins told us that if we wanted, just with a 30 minutes walk, we could see happy water falls! Well, is not the Iguazu Falls, but it was really cool...around the Thunder Creek Falls there was an absolute tourqoise water where the bravest of us jumped and had a quick swim, before heading back to the next stop!

Steve and I were finally brought to the place where to jump with a 45 seconds free fall, before the parachutes opens! Skydive, yeah!!!
Eugene, my master kept saying that he had learned just the day before how to jump, so he hoped all went well! He was a fun guy, with half Italian blood!
What can I say?? If I had more money left I'd definitely do it again!! It was definitely the highlight of my trip in terms of emotions...pure adrenaline!! Nothing to be scared about...except that (apparently) a few months before a guy that was jumping with his master got in a bit of troubles...the master had a heart attack and the guy, when realised what was going on, managed to unlock the emergency parashute...and, while he was safe, the master died! I have to say that they didn't explain us what to do in case of emergency!!! Ouch...
Apart this isolated episode, if you can, jump!! It's worth it!

And then we arrived in Queenstown where we had a big night in the Base bar and most of us was ready for some activity!!
Queenstown is the "adventure capital of the world" where you can do every type of activities you can imagine! I'd say, 80% of our bus signed in for the bungy jumping!! Here there is one of the highest point to jump in the world...if I remember well, it was around 240 metres high...I only saw pictures and videos and I had headache only at seeing them!! Not for me, for sure!! For some reason I feel bungy is the too scary for me!!

Christchurch was the last destination...a quick city wondering around with Carston, some great pictures at the botanic garden and in the streets...

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

....and I was ready to leave New Zealand for South America!