Bolivian 123 years old herder? Talk about a new world record

Guinness World Records asserts that the oldest living person verified by original proof of birth is Misao Okawa, a 115-year-old Japanese woman. Additionally the oldest verified age ever was 122 years and 164 days. Having said that, Carmelo Flores Laura, who according to Bolivian records was born in 1890 and is thus the oldest living man ever to be documented.

This primitive Aymara, lives in a straw-roofed, dusty-floored hut, in an isolated suburban area, near Lake Titicaca, is illiterate, has no teeth, wears no glasses, grasps onto no cane and one must talk into his ear in order to be heard. He is a resilient warrior who has stood the test of time.

"I see a bit dimly. I had good vision before. But I saw you coming," he reportedly said to Associated Press journalists who visited him after a local TV report broke the story. "I should be about 100 years old or more," said Flores. But his memory was blurred.

Eugenio Condori, director of Bolivia’s civil register, said birth certificates didn’t exist in Bolivia until 1940. Births were previously recorded by baptism certificates provided by Roman Catholic Priests. He then showed the Associated Press the registry that lists Flores' birth date as July 16, 1890. If Bolivia’s public records are correct, this elderly soul is by far the oldest man ever to have lived.

So what is the secret behind his exceptionally long life? Well he says, "I walk a lot, that's all. I go out with the animals. I don't eat noodles or rice, only barley. I used to grow potatoes, beans, oca (an Andean tuber)." The water he drinks is the melted residue from the snow-capped peak of Illampu, one of Bolivia’s highest mountains. He claims he doesn’t drink alcohol, although must have consumed some in his youth and he’s eaten a lot of mutton as well as fox in his young days. No such secret now is it? He’s just purely blessed. His wife died almost a decade ago and out of his three children only one is still alive: Cecilio. He has 40 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. What a large family! We wish Flores the best of health, and happiness, after all he’s made it to 123!