Video Dispatch
Watch the Expedition Unfold.
Travel with us to an isolated Greek island in the Aegean Sea to determine exactly why this place became home to some of the longest living people in the world.
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Daily Dispatch
The True Fountain of Youth
In 1521, Ponce de Leon landed in what is today Florida in search of a Fountain of Youth. Historians no longer believe that he was foolish enough to be searching for a spring of water that gave everlasting life. Rather, he sought spiritual rejuvenation because Christopher Columbus’s son, Diego, had ousted him as governor of Cuba. Nevertheless, people are still searching for a miracle rejuvenator. “Antiaging” is a multi-billion dollar industry in America. The vast majority of it is every bit the myth that Ponce de Leon’s fictional fountain was.
Which brings me to today’s report.
Twenty-five hundred years before the Blue Zones team announced its headline-grabbing finding that people are living longer here than anywhere else, Ikaria was a major health destination for the ancient Greeks . For almost as long, islanders traveled to a remote part of the island to drink from the Athanato Nero, the fountain of “Immortal Waters.”
I left our comfortable quarters at Thea’s Guesthouse in Nas and traveled all the way across the island, over the mountains, to the rugged southern coast. From there, I had to make my way to the town of Xilosirti (try saying that three times fast). This spring appears in historical records at least two hundred years old. In the early part of this century, a man watched over the fountain. You could only drink of its waters by paying.
At the top one final hill, a brand new sign trumpeted Athanato Nero. I could feel my heartbeat quicken. I planned to get a sample and bring it back to Dr. Gianni Pes, who is traveling with a water analysis kit. I had visions of making a discovery of some new life-giving compound that, perhaps, I could market to pay for our next expedition: “Ikarian’s Blue Zone Water: the TRUE secret to longevity,” read the label in my mind. Sometimes folk tales turn out to be true!
I followed the arrow down a hill to the sea, where I walked along the coast for several hundred meters. I imagined cool, crystalline waters burbling out of the earth in a shady grove of ancient cedars. Perhaps a bunny would be drinking from it. I rounded a bend, and there before me was Ikaria’s Fountain of Youth.
I don’t believe in going out for New Year’s Eve. It just seems the harder you try to have a good time that night, the more the night fails, invariably ending with the sad whine of noise makers and insincere whoops of “Happy New Year.” So, I was ready for it when my expectations were similarly obliterated by this Fountain of Youth: before me, I beheld a huge cement slab that covered the original source. An insipid stream of water trickled out of a rusty iron pipe. I knelt down and let it run over my fingers. It was disquietly, warm; about the temperature of urine.
When I brought the water sample to Gianni for testing, he confirmed my suspicions. It was painfully plain—no different than the water that runs out of my hotel’s bathroom sink.
This all goes to confirm what you should already know: when it comes to longevity, there’s no quick fix. Only things you do habitually or ritualistically, for years, have an impact on your life span—like the things Ikarians do to outlive the rest of us.
In order not to end this Dispatch with you empty-handed, I’m going to offer you a chance to identify a true Fountain of Youth.
Over the past two weeks, our team has identified 18 lifestyle characteristics that we believe contribute to longevity here. We’ve embedded them in our Daily Dispatches and videos. We’d like your input on ranking them. You have eight votes. Just click next to the factors you think are most important.
Cast your vote for the Top 8 Ikaria Longevity Factors
Our software will tally all of the votes, and on Friday, will tell us the Eight Secrets to Ikarian Longevity.
So take a few moments and cast your votes. Here’s your chance to be a modern Ponce de Leon.
Live Large,
Dan
Image Gallery
Our professional photographer, Gianluca Colla, tells the story of the life of the fishermen on Ikaria. To see the photos larger or read the captions, click on the image.
Vote To Direct The Team
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The Direct the Team feature is where you vote to tell the team what to do. Here are three possible story ideas for the team to uncover.
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Daily Data
Print Daily DataWhat's new with the team today?
Expedition Team Daily Data
Name: Aggeliki Skouteri
Title: Nurse
Age: 28
Pedometer Reading: 4,232
Favorite Exercise: Pilates
Hours of Sleep Last Night: 5.5 hours
What I Had to Eat Yesterday
Breakfast - Honey, yogurt, banana, crushed walnuts, and a Frape
Lunch - Potatoes and Stifado
Dinner - Spaghetti carbonara
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Dan’s Dilemma
Thanks for weighing in on our team's sleep issue. It will be hard to encourage people to get enough rest with the Quest coming to an end and so many social gatherings happening, but we'll give it a try. Here's a dilemma for you to help with today.
Gifts...
Something interesting happened today. I went to a store to buy some much needed items (shampoo, a gift for our translator, an apple and a soda pop). Once I reached the cash register, I handed her a $50 Euro note to cover the items, but she would not allow me to pay. When I tried to force her to take the money she refused again! She said that she heard about our expedition and my money was no good in her store. It was a nice gesture, but one that made me feel guilty because the value of the items was roughly $40.
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Mystery Photo
What is this?
- Top of tiramisu
- Coffee grounds for fortune telling
- Labyrinth in the sand
Answer is coffee grounds for fortune telling
At first glance, Greek coffee is similar to espresso. It is made with finely ground coffee and served in a demitasse cup. But it is made differently, prepared in a small copper urn called a “briki.” A rounded teaspoon of ground coffee and some sugar are stirred into water and slowly heated until a cappuccino-colored foam forms on top. Just as the coffee is threatening to boil, it is removed from the stove and carefully poured into the cup—grounds and all.
During the slow process of sipping the Greek java, the heavy coffee grounds settle to the bottom of the cup. And when all the liquid is gone, a thick, brown paste remains. The drinker carefully swirls these grounds around the sides of the cup, then turns the cup upside down. When the grounds dry, they create a fine, powdery design. The wise women of the village then gaze at the grounds and “read” the pattern, to tell the drinker’s fortune.
Nick had his cup read in the village of Mandria. He was told that he’d soon meet a beautiful woman with long, dark hair. She would be waiting for him at the base of a mountain. Nick hasn’t met her yet...but he has been looking for her ever since.
Ask A Question
Have question for Dan or our team?
Use the comment feature at the bottom of this page to ask a question. We will post some of your questions here on the site.
Your Questions Answered
Question: We have noticed something very interesting, and we want to ask you about it! People are living so much longer in Ikaria. Also, we noticed that the old men still have SO MUCH HAIR! How come they do not lose their hair like many older men in America?
Answer: From Dr. Gianni Pes: Hair growth depends on hormones and especially sex hormones like androgens. Baldness depends on high level of androgens. If you are able to keep your hair until old age it means your androgens are lower than average.
The fact that these old people may have so much hair may depend on the fact that they have a lower androgen level. Studies show that a lower level of androgens may protect you in that you may have a lower level of atherosclerosis.
The fact that these very old people have so much hair may mean that they have lower androgen levels and therefore they have a lower risk of atherosclerosis.
It's a very interesting question because it may underline this link between androgens and the fact that they are protected from cardiovascular disease. It may not be a spurious relation, the fact that they are not bald and the fact that they live longer. The common factor may be the lower androgen levels.
Gross & Disgusting
The Bottom Line
When it comes to longevity, there’s no quick fix. Only things you do habitually or ritualistically, for years, have an impact on your life span. Help Blue Zones determine the Top 8 Factors of Longevity in Ikaria. Vote for the ones you think contribute the most to the long and healthy lives here.
Educators & Students
Expand your Blue Zones experience with ePALS around the world. Find Longevity under the purple Projects tab at www.epals.com and connect with classrooms on the right. You don't need to do the whole Longevity project, just find each other and Skype or email about your Quest adventures.
Educators
For ideas on how to present the Blue Zones content each day, check out the Daily Discussion.
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Educator Favorites
We've gathered our best education materials for you to use during the Quest
Quest Materials
Gives you tools to use during the Quest.
Daily Discussion
Provides ideas and talking point for the day.
Blue Zones Challenge
4-week health and fitness program for students.
Legacy Project
Multi-disciplinary research project for students.