What I am going to tell the story of four gentlemen venture of different origins and nationalities confused.
This is the story of men left for a trip overseas in search of fortune and glory.
I'll tell you what happened in those days of glory and power mix to the sound of salsa and merengue, so close to the equator, and so far from home.
This trip begins at a spring night in Rome, when the west wind blows and blows away the cold of winter, the crickets begin to sing and flowers bloom.
Love in Rome, you know, it is sown in autumn and harvested in late spring.
leave.
pack your bags, hoping to not forget anything. A backpack with necessaire in case I lose my luggage like that time in London when I was without a suitcase in the rain and I had to fix at best. A bit 'of biofeedback to relax at the thought of the many planned flights and landings that I hate. Two new books from one end and to overcome the long viaggio.Terzani Chatwin and besides the good Richler with his version . I hope to get to know the third wife di Barney stavolta, anche se Miriam è sempre presente nell’autobiografia di questo trasandato signore con tanti soldi e poco amore che sembra la versione invecchiata del Giovane Holden che ha catturato l’immaginazione della mia infanzia. Andiamo a conoscere il centro america e il Mar dei Carabi, scenario delle avventure di Salgari, dell’Olonese e presto anche mie e dei miei compagni di viaggio. Qualcuno di loro lo conosco meglio e qualcuno per nulla, ma penso che questa sia l’occasione per saper di loro e capire se le mie impressioni siano corrette o meno. Argento è un avventuriero di professione, ha scelto il rischio come missione di vita, ama vivere e l’ambizione domina le sue azioni. Forse è un po’ the leader of his own. Forte is the man with feet of lead, attracted and fascinated by the tales of travelers returning from the South Seas with suitcases full of pearls, precious stones and perfumes of all sorts, but just could never put to sea. It has some 'forgotten how to live, lost in the routine of everyday life. Will have time to remember during this trip. Woodpecker is a man who never let the baby die of all we possess within us, indeed, the childish soul reigns in his character and attitude. E 'party with the spirit of those who go to play soccer with friends. Its uniqueness is its duplicity. Behind the mask lies a teenager never raised methodical administrative, worthy of the bird whose name it bears, persists in its intentions until he reaches the result that it has set. The first session is shaping up long flights and exhausting: Rome, Madrid, Miami, San Pedro de Sula, Tegucigalpa. Then Salvador, Panama, Madrid and Rome again. It took me too much to write only the stages of the journey. I'm already tired!
Astral Diary of Captain Carlo: the first day.
After a sleepless night in the company of a very annoying mosquito, forcing the alarm clock rings at 5.15 to the early rising. I dress with eyes at half mast, dangling between the bathroom and the suitcase. I drain a coffee pot da tre nella speranza di svegliarmi abbastanza per arrivare all’aeroporto. Chiudo casa e vado a prendere un taxi. Quaranta euro di tariffa fissa e un tassinaro che mi parla della crisi e del trend economico mondiale prima ancora che sorga il sole, mi mettono di pessimo umore. Arrivato in aeroporto ritrovo i tre porcellini, Argento, Forte e Picchio, in assetto da viaggio. Al check-in ci informano che per entrare negli Stati Uniti dal 1° Aprile si deve compilare una domanda on-line su un sito che si chiama ESTA. Questa notizia di prima mattina mi peggiora l’umore. Le imprecazioni si perdono nella eco del terminal di Fiumicino. Picchio ed io corriamo in cerca di un internet point a gettoni e compiliamo la domanda per tutti e quattro. Riusciamo a salire in tempo sull’aereo per Madrid, un volo che procede senza particolari intoppi. La mente corre ad alcuni anni prima, quando pensavo che Madrid sarebbe stato un buon posto dove mettere su famiglia, quando la mattina incrociavo lo sguardo di due occhi neri. Barajas è sempre grande. Perdiamo venti minuti camminando fino al gate da cui ci si imbarcherà per Miami. Poi ci perquisiscono a fondo. Devo riuscire a levarmi questa espressione da terrorista talebano un giorno o l’altro: non se ne può più di essere perquisito ad ogni occasione. In vista del lungo volo ed incerti sulla qualità del cibo, ci uccidiamo con alcune baguette con jamòn y queso . Il volo per Miami dura circa dieci ore con sei ore di fuso orario. A Miami ci fanno mille controlli e poi ci leave out of the airport while waiting for the connecting flight to San Pedro de Sula, Honduras. Take a taxi driven by a Cuban taxi driver named Raul and do en route to downtown. The official language is not clear whether the English or English. Miami is full of skyscrapers, beaches, the sea sends its silvery reflections and the spirit of consumerism invading my three traveling companions. Instead of seeing the city we end up in a shopping center to buy T-shirts and sunglasses. Is still time for a chuleta Argentina in front of the marina. Come back a black taxi driver and taciturn, who speaks a mixture of French and English, brings us back to the airport where we go to our boarding gate per il volo che ci porterà a San Pedro de Sula, ridente cittadina dell’Honduras di cui, prima di oggi, ignoravo l’esistenza. Nel duty free prosegue la mia indagine di mercato e compro tutti gli snacks a base di carne essiccata che qui chiamano “jerkey”. Sembrano pezzetti di scarpa vecchia essiccati, tagliati a quadratini e imbustati. A bordo dell’aereo veniamo catapultati nello spirito dell’America Latina. Una hostess di sangue misto con un bel sorriso ed un ragazzo honduregno che vive a Denver, la signora con le borse della spesa cariche di cibo per i suoi parenti, la bimba che piange tra le prime poltrone perché non vuole stare seduta, la grande mama vudù che giace mezza abbioccata e il tramonto sul mare dei Carabi che si intravede dall’oblò di questa aeronave che ha visto anni migliori. Tutto questo ed altro ancora ci fa cambiare aria. Questo volo ci farà guadagnare altre due ore di fuso orario per un totale di otto ore in meno rispetto all’Italia. Due ore dura il volo. Partiamo alle 19 e 15 ed arriviamo alle 19 e 25 ora locale grazie al giochetto dei fusi orari. A Roma sono le tre e mezza del mattino e a San Pedro de Sula sono le sette e mezza di sera. Prevedo un crollo sul letto. Il ragazzo honduregno ci consiglia un hotel in centro che si chiama appunto “Hotel Sula”, per lasciare spazio alla poesia ed alla fantasia. Giungiamo all’albergo con un furgoncino in serata. Il posto è carino, ma la sorpresa sta nel prezzo: 120 U$D a stanza. Le coppie sono fissate: io e Argento andiamo in una stanza, mentre Forte e Picchio vanno nell’altra. Beviamo un paio di birre al bar dell’albergo e Argento chiacchiera con due ragazze locali che stavano allegramente baciandosi lingua in bocca fino a pochi secondi prima. Dalla Grecia antica l’amore di Lesbo ne ha fatta di strada…anche se sembravano “di larghe vedute”. A questo punto siamo affranti dal viaggio e dal fuso orario e andiamo a coricarci per qualche ora in attesa di prendere l’ultimo volo che ci separa dalla nostra prima meta.
Diario Astrale del capitano Carlo: giorno secondo
Alle cinque e un quarto del mattino, ora locale, dopo una colazione heavy for our parameters, the taxi the night before brings us to the airport where she awaits the first surprise of the day. The plane from San Pedro de Sula Tegucigalpa will lead us to a small twin engine propeller airplane ... take off with the plane that flaps its wings to come off the ground for the last, short flight of this long journey. We land in Tegucigalpa with a thrilling ride lives and find themselves waiting at the exit of the corresponding Chamber of Commerce in Honduras,
Diario Astrale del Capitano Carlo: giorno terzo.
Il fuso orario sballato ci sveglia prestissimo. Facciamo colazione all’Hotel. Io e Claudio andiamo with an aide to Richard in a mall to buy a pair of shorts and syrup for my cough is getting more intense. In the meantime I was inflamed conjunctiva of the left eye. We go to Gino's for a bite to eat before going to the fair. I go to the room to wear a jacket and tie with a pair of linen trousers to stay cool, as the temperature is high and the air conditioning is switched on only in the early afternoon. The fair begins. Marlon arrived in the morning, the dispatcher of the Costa Rica friendly type, the hand with a face like a great Paraculo. Prepare a tasting of cheeses, wines, meats oil, olives and pizza. The effect is that del miele e le api. Lo stand diventa il principale punto di attrazione della fiera. Nel corso del pomeriggio arriva il neo ambasciatore italiano a trovarci e a vedere l’esposizione. Di origine toscana, brizzolato, rilassato, ma ancora incapace di parlare spagnolo. In serata è prevista una presentazione ufficiale con cerimonia di apertura della manifestazione. Mi chiedono di rappresentare gli imprenditori italiani al tavolo principale con il ministro dell’industria, un paio di deputati, alcuni rappresentanti delle varie camere di commercio bilaterali dei vari paesi del centroamerica, oltre al nostro ambasciatore. Finita la cerimonia accompagno il ministro, un deputato e l’ambasciatore al nostro stand ad assaggiare i nostri prodotti. And here the Italian taste is a terrible figure. Gift a bottle of oil to the Ambassador and the Minister, then I start to talk with the Minister to earn his sympathy, the calling card and its support in case we have problems with the draft import-export that we have in mind. It 's interesting to see the effort they put this policy in Central America to show who really wants to do something for his country. At that time it was ordered by the Supreme Court, past June 20, 2009, the UN still recognizes the deposed President, Manuel Zelaya, as the only legitimate president of the country, disregarding the recent election of Lobo, whose government is one with which the Minister I'm talking. Suddenly the room lights and cameras flash and get a beautiful journalist who gets to interview the Minister and I admiring the features the team: was it worth the visit to Honduras only to see it! Following a shower and go in a room near the Hotel, the Bull Bar to eat something. We find some local boys that we met at the fair. The music is loud and of poor quality, the food sucks and is not enough, I'm really tired. A guy tries to attack me with talk button such as "how is the economy in Italy?". He is immediately fired. Back to the hotel alone and collapse on the bed.
Diario Astrale del Capitano Carlo: giorno quarto.
Argento e Picchio sono in piscina a prendere il sole. Io vado con Claudio, accompagnato da Luigi, il cameriere di Gino’s, dal medico per via del mio occhio che non vuole migliorare. Andiamo a La casa de Cura del Carmen, dove un medico mi visita con cura e mi diagnostica una congiuntivite dovuta ad infiammazione diffusa dei bronchi…in pratica i canali lacrimali si sono otturati. Costo della visita 15$. Costo delle medicine 100$!!! Luigi mi spiega che “es por eso que la gente se muere”, perché i medicinali costano troppo e chi non se li può permettere è spacciato. Torniamo in hotel e Claudio si unisce agli altri in piscina, mentre io vado a “farmi” le medicine. Ai tre si è unito anche Marlon, commentando il colore rosso gamberone che hanno assunto. Pranziamo all’Hotel e ci prepariamo per la fiera. E’ prevista una serata dal titolo “Momentos Romanos”, quindi a metà pomeriggio cominciamo ad allestire i vassoi con le olive disposte a piramide, i formaggi a spicchi artistici, la porchetta a cubetti avanguardisti e l’olio di oliva accompagnato dalla pizza croccantina. Arriviamo alla piscina dove ci attendono tavoli imbanditi all’aria aperta. Una pioggia tropicale, tanto improvvisa quanto impetuosa, ci sorprende e siamo costretti a rifugiarci all’interno. Grande successo del cibo italiano che abbiamo portato. Peccato che fosse accompagnato da una pizza schifosa “made in Honduras "and an overcooked pasta, always" made in Honduras ", prepared by the chef who obviously had great not familiar with our cuisine. Here come the brothers Orellana, known in a trade fair in Barcelona. Orellana ... the name conjures up tales of adventurers, and gold. After conquering Peru in the wake of Pizarro, Francisco de Orellana went inside and discovered the Rio de las Amazonas, which he named, was attacked by indigenous women as combatants, as the mythological figures. He darted in search of the mythical El Dorado. ... And died of malaria. We all now know his findings. The story has made him immortal, so that now feeling the last of these two entrepreneurs from San Pedro de Sula think of El Dorado. They look really good people. I get to chat with the Ambassador that entertains me with a very interesting report on the history of European monarchies. ... I'm going to change since the evening continues at the disco. I, Silver, Strong, Picchio, Marlon, Elizabeth and Giselle go to Rio, accompanied by a nice display of Costa Rica named Julio. I'm tired and the music really sucks, so I did not enjoy that much and end up collapsing on a couch. Back at the hotel about two o'clock, and again I dive into bed with leopard skin.
Astral Diary Captain Carlo: Day Five.
Last day of the exhibition. We woke up too late to have breakfast and start work immediately behind the counter of the stand that begins today in the morning to late afternoon. Lunch at a restaurant where we discover that Christmas, the representative of the Italian Chamber of Commerce Costariquena was very ill in the night because of a bad asthma attack. Towards the end of the day we start to sell some 'advanced product, then they all prepare for the evening. The program includes a dinner at the "Patio" with some of the show and disco to follow. For dinner, everything goes well and we kill with the grilled meat and cheese tacos with frijoles. A girl, who works as an electrical engineer in the national electricity company, is looking at me to wink. Teeth redone, boobs, nails redone, a lot of money than the national average and a special attraction towards men in Europe and North America. A few words of encouragement, a couple of sharp jokes and go away in a car together to the disco "Rio". The same place the night before. Tonight, however, the music is much better and with us is the girl who was advertising beer "Save Vida", owned by a well-known South African group. Very nice, beautiful seating and an interesting mind. Of humble origins, has already established that its beauty is the tool which may not get what life has given her. Skilful to be looked at by the men and keep them in hand playing with their insecurities and their desires. Having been a victim many times of the charm of such women, I find his game soon, but I like to watch the behavior of the group against him, the dance looks of a young professional seduction. Tonight the music is beautiful and I'm not tired, the company is fun and lively. The engineer I danced closer and closer ... We drink rum and cola while dancing techno, merengue, reggae, salsa, house and all the music that the DJ has in his collection. There are alcohol, sex, music and life that animate this evening. All the glass in his hand dancing with a girl ... I go out with the engineer to take a breath of fresh air. Beautiful evening.
Astral Diary of Captain Carlo sixth day.
pack their bags and go to leave the airport. Richard shows us what it means to know people in this country and be recognized as part of the upper class. In 30 minutes we did everything all by jumping the queue. Let's go by car to the house of Joy, a birthday and wants to greet us. I, Strong and Silver we get to the fires to prepare carbonara and amatriciana. Marlon started this morning for El Salvador, as always very of Italian cuisine. At about three and half go to the airport. At 16:30 we board and we welcome Richard to promise to cooperate with. The plane makes a stop in Salvador, where we must change that Marlon plane back to Costa Rica. Have a snack together, and after warm greetings to our new friend, let's get on the plane of TACA that will take us to Panama City. The flight goes quiet until Panama. Fill the usual customs forms for entry to a new country. For now we have done Rome, Madrid, Miami, San Pedro de Sula, Tegucigalpa, Salvador, Panama City. Seven cities, six countries, three time zones. I am a bit 'dazed, but I feel alive. I pursued this work like a dream and now I'm realizing, at airport customs di Panama mi fanno mille domande: chi sono, che faccio qui, dove vado, quando lascio il paese, che lavoro faccio…Segue un litigio con un tassista disonesto che per 40 $ ci porta all’albergo che ci ha riservato l’amico di Forte e Picchio. Il trasferimento in auto ci permette di osservare la città di notte. E’strano vedere il mare, i grattacieli all’americana ed il cielo stellato tutti insieme. Ho perso l’abitudine di vedere le stelle nelle città. “ E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle”. Arrivati all’albergo ci attende una spiacevole sorpresa: il posto è un tugurio con stanze minuscole e sporche con il condizionatore rotto, cosa terribile se ci sono 36° C e il 90% humidity. We try to survive the night with the promise to change hotels the following day.
Astral Diary of Captain Carlo seventh day.
We befriended a taxi driver who helps us to find a decent hotel. Our research leads us to a neighborhood called "El Cangrejo", and the hotel we find is the "Marbella". Time to put down their bags and run the meeting with the ambassador. We are greeted with an espresso to miss and I start to explain why we are in Panama and what we do. The Ambassador is extremely helpful and courteous and it helps us to organize una degustazione dei nostri prodotti per lo stesso Venerdì. Lasciamo l’ambasciata per andare a trovare un distributore di origine italiana, Don Vincenzo. Ha lasciato
Astral Diary of Captain Carlo: the eighth day.
We wake up early in the morning and find ourselves with Felicetta who came to take me to the store where you downloaded the goods. Pepe greets us in his office and takes us to see him and of the adjoining warehouse, and then in cold storage to control our goods. During the visit, we know Pepe's father, Lazaro, who was eighty years, the company is still working and none of it to stay at home. Originally attached has spent his life building the company. We talk of Galicia, the mariscos and when I visited Santiago hitchhiking starting from Bilbao. We invite you to tasting Friday. Our confidence comes the taxi driver, Mariano, and go to the Sociedad de Beneficiencia Italian, where the tasting will be held to prepare for the event. 'S funny how the Panamanians do not use the names of streets and house numbers, but "describe" the address. Let's go to the Members
Astral Diary of Captain Carlo ninth day.
rented a car and head to the embassy where we assess the situation. The Ambassador has invited about thirty importers and distributors to the evening of Friday. Perhaps it is also the President of the Republic of Panama. Finished the meeting we leave in the car wing for Las Tablas, where we see the manager of a slaughterhouse. I sleep the whole trip, except for a break at the Mac Donald to seal hunger. It's always very hot but the humidity has diminished The owner of the slaughterhouse informs that his is the biggest establishment throughout the country and has two offices where all slaughtered cows around twelve months. We make an appointment with the manager in Panama City and exports, for information on certification and the necessary volumes. Let's take a ride with a friend of woodpecker and Forte to visit their investments in land area. In the evening we have dinner in a tavern on the sea that has a waiter stoned, but the fish is fresh and delicious. Silver falls asleep in his chair at the end of dinner ...
Astral Diary of Captain Carlo: the tenth day.
