Adventure through Patagonia: Top 10 Experiences to Enjoy

 

Sprawled across the southernmost tip of South America, far away from the cramped and entangled cities of North America, lies Patagonia. It’s a big unspoiled wilderness, an antidote to urban life, and, unless you’ve lost your senses entirely, or your last sliver of curiosity, it will captivate you. Monstrous glaciers, spectacular and unique wildlife (condors to guanaco), towering Andean peaks that run down the region’s spine, and on either side its endless pampas and shimmering lakes. If you want heat, Patagonia will deliver that, or bitter cold, and winds that will knock you sideways.

You can hike the world-renowned Torres del Paine National Park, marvel at the imposing Perito Moreno Glacier, or lose yourself in the wild serenity of Tierra del Fuego, a land Charles Darwin explored 150 years ago. And, if you’re up for it, there are plenty of exciting ways to get well off the beaten path: kayaking, white-water rafting, horseback-riding, weeklong hikes into the wilderness, even ice-climbing on Patagonia’s glacier fields. It’s an enormous place that spans two nations and reaches to the South Ocean and some of the most ferocious seas on earth. All you have to do is get there.

I first entered Patagonia from the northwest, heading from Peru to make my way down Chile’s coast to the town of Puerto Montt.  There I had booked passage on a ferry called Navimag that would take me to Puerto Natales, Patagonia’s southern gateway. I had heard about it during my cruise from Miami to Lima over dinner with an inveterate traveler named Mike, a man who had already scrambled into and around 100 of Earth’s countries.

For five days Navimag coasted me, my wife Cyndy and about 100 other truckers, sailors, travelers and locals through the vast archipelago. I had never seen any part of the world that looked like this — the sea, immense mountain islands, fiery sunsets, a luminescent full moon, all as majestic as anything earthly could be. I struggled to hold it all in my mind because I knew no words could ever do the experience the remotest justice. In one stroke I realized how fortunate I was to witness this, and how sad to know I would leave it behind.

Patagonia still feels like a frontier, even as its few cities are slowly encroaching upon the wilderness. Sheep roam the steppes nourishing the wool industry that has long been the backbone of the economy, guanaco lope freely, condors arc and sweep across the broad sky in search of dinner, and if you’re lucky enough you may come across a pride of wary Puma. There is history too. Ancient native peoples — the Tehuelche, Yaghan, Ona, Haush and Alacaluf — thrived in these wild places for millennia before the expeditions of Juan Diaz del Solis, Magellan, Robert Fitzroy and others wiped them out. Descendants of these native people, their names and heritage nearly forgotten, now blend into a population of ethnic German, Croatian, English, Criollo, and Mestizo peoples.

Patagonia’s beauty, history and isolation, of course, are the very forces that are expanding the region’s tourism so if you are looking to get off the beaten path, make your move now. Unplug, find solace in the vastness of this place and marvel at its profound silence and unspoiled beauty … at least when the winds aren’t howling.

Here are ten great ways to do it …

1. Lose Yourself in Torres del Paine National Park

The crown jewel of Patagonia. Named for its three famous blue towers the Torres claw their way out of the earth and swallow the sky. The mountains are 60 million year old, igneous rocks that emerged when the magma chamber below bulged upward cooling into a gargantuan hump. The advance and retreat of glaciers over the eons created the immense beasts we see today. They are the sine qua non of Patagonian exploration. Along with the glaciers, valleys, lakes and rivers that surround them, the towers are so big and powerful they generate their own weather.  Together they offer all the adventure you need. Hiking, climbing, horseback riding, kayaking, and more!

Other highlights include Gray Glacier, Cuernos del Paine, and Lake Pehoé. You could easily spend weeks exploring the park. Wildlife lovers will enjoy the guanaco herds grazing on the plains and soaring condors floating on the mountain’s thermal winds.

For visitors there are many available hikes through the park, both leisurely and brutal. Those with time on their hands should consider the O Circuit, a 6-10 day adventure looping around the Cordillera del Paine. This is a challenging hike across 66 miles (110 km). The W Trek is the most popular portion of the O Circuit, taking about half the time to traverse. The W can even be completed without food or equipment, taking advantage of the many campsites along the route.

The Hosteria del Torres is a charming place to stay. There is also the Grey Lake Hotel. For food, consider the Pampa Lodge, Hostería del Torres or Grey Lake.

2. Cruise Tierra del Fuego and Stand at the Tip of Cape Horn

The archipelago across the Strait of Magellan is the southernmost tip of South America. Shared by both Chile and Argentina, the island chain has been inhabited for over 8,000 years. But here, today, the land is nearly empty. This is truly the definition of nowhere, but it’s not easy to get there. Australis operates a five day expedition from Punta Arenas through the islands, pausing to visit some of the most stunning and remote places on Earth. This is where a young Charles Darwin cut his teeth on evolutionary science and the region is filled with stories of adventure and death, from interactions with the native Yahgan and Fuegian people and hair-raising nautical adventures experienced by the likes of Sir Francis Drake, Ferdinand Magellan and Ernest Shackleton.

Australis Zodiacs take hikers from the ship to wild sites that very few people have seen, including a hike to Cape Horn (weather permitting), the southernmost bit of South America. Standing by its single red lighthouse you can imagine Magellan’s fleet sailing past, led by Trinidad. The weather is cold, rarely higher than 45°F in the summer. You won’t find much at the Cape, but visitors will see a tiny chapel and functioning lighthouse and a battered metal sculpture to visit. Enjoy the 270 step hike to the Horn’s highest peak. Unfortunately, the native Yaghan people are gone. Aside from a few Chileans, visitors will only encounter the people you’ve met on the cruise.

Another Australis highlight takes passengers through Glacier Alley fjord offering magnificent views of five tidewater glaciers extending their great tongues of ice from craggy valleys to the waters below.

3. Ferry on the Navimag

Navimag operates a round trip ferry system through the Chilean fjords between Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales. This is transport for both locals and serious travelers. The riders hail from all around the world on weeks and month-long excursions to discover some of the most remote locations in the world. These ferries curate a collection of books and movies which, along with shipboard activities, can teach you about Chilean history and culture. Multilingual guides are onboard during the high season from October to April. There’s a charming little, glass-enclosed lounge for reading, daydreaming, conversation and beverages. A great place to pass the time, but not too much. You want to be outside as much as possible.

I enjoyed the cruise on Navimag’s newest vessel, Esperanza, with room for 244 passengers in spacious, but spartan accommodations. The cabins are shared among four or more riders, but two can buy out the whole cabin at a reasonable price. Common activity space is limited. You’ll find a not terribly usable gym, yoga room, and the lounge. Food is served cafeteria style three times a day. It’s good and there’s plenty of it, but it’s the conversations you have at the big tables while eating that are the real bonuses.

The ride is usually four days, but it took five when I made the trip. Sustained winds of 40 mph made it impossible for the ship to wrestle its way to the harbor so we anchored an additional full day. This is not uncommon for this voyage so make sure you have a flexible schedule. Riders can count on Patagonian winds to keep them alert across 10 degrees of southern latitude: 41°S to 51°S. That’s the origin of the saying, “Below 40º (of latitude) there is no law. Below 50º there is no God.”

4. Take a Hike Above Laguna Sofia

Laguna Sofia is about 30 minutes from Puerto Natales and you can reach it via a brand new highway. It may be one of the most underrated destinations in Patagonia. On this day-trek, you’ll climb several hundred vertical feet through grass and trees into scree to a promontory high above the lagoon. Beyond that lay rocky cliffs and snow-capped mountains in every direction. You might even be lucky enough to see a condor perched nearby. The winds, as usual, are out in force, powerful enough to knock you over. A side bonus: unlike other hikes in the Torres area, you can usually expect this one to be deserted.

5. Explore San Carlos de Bariloche

San Carlos de Bariloche is a charming tourist town with a striking resemblance to the Swiss Alps, tucked along the immense and pristine alpine lake Nahuel Huali. If you’re entering Patagonia from the north, Bariloche is a spectacular way to do it. Enjoy it for its scenery, hiking, winter skiing and upscale amenities. Besides the Alpine feel, the town itself underwent a tourism renaissance in the 1930s that added Swiss architectural touches to the town’s architecture. Even its chocolate is famous.   

The region has a strange history too. Bariloche was a refuge for Nazis escaping Europe following World War II. Argentine president Juan Péron was a known Nazi sympathizer who courted European dictators. One legend has it that Hitler faked his death and fled with Eva Braun to Bariloche.

6. Tour Ushuaia

Long regarded as the worlds southernmost city, with protestations from its much smaller Chilean neighbor, Puerto Williams, Ushuaia, also known as the “End of the World” is the capital of Tierra del Fuego province. Dress warm. The climate is an ocean moderated sub polar mild tundra; just a fancy way of calling it “cold.” If you’re looking for counterparts, think of Anchorage, Alaska, Reykjavik, Iceland, and Nuuk Nuuk, Greenland. But don’t let this keep you home.

Ushuaia’s breathtaking landscapes rival any on Earth, with snow-capped peaks, pristine glaciers and sparkling fjords surrounding the city. And it’s the launch point for adventures throughout Tierra del Fuego and beyond. Tierra del Fuego National Park, Martillo Island, and the Beagle Channel are reachable by ship. For those who love winter sports, this is your place. Skiing and ice hockey are immensely popular. The ski resort at Cerro Castor has the longest season in South America, thanks to that sub polar climate.

The End of the World Train takes visitors from Ushuaia on a two hour scenic tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. The steam railway once transferred Ushuaia’s prisoners into forests where they harvested the lumber that built both the city and the prison in which they lived, the original reason the town was created!

For food, visit warm and vibrant La Parrilla Restaurant, famous for its flame roasted lamb. Hosteria Restaurante America is a good mid-range option for lodging, but if you want more upscale digs, consider the Albatros Hotel.

7. Visit Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument

The huge Mylodon sloths, enormous beasts up to 12 feet tall that roamed the Patagonian landscape thousands of years ago, were the inspiration for Bruce Chatwin’s famous book, In Patagonia. Mylodons’ and their hairy coats were first discovered and cataloged by Darwin during his time with HMS Beagle. Although mylodon extinction is attributed to multiple factors, their disappearance also coincided with the arrival of certain two-legged pack hunter 11,000 years ago.

Cueva del Milodón is located near Puerto Natales. It is not a single cave, but a complex of three, each with a different character. The largest and most popular, Cueva Grande, is impressive for its size and its notoriety for Mylodon preservation. Equally compelling, for different reasons, are the other caves. Cueva del Medio sheltered humans over 11,000 years ago under a less forgiving climate, while the third cave, Cueva Chica, is deeper and darker than the other two. Spelunkers will enjoy exploring Chica’s nooks and crannies.

8. Hunt Down Butch Cassidy’s Ranch

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid is a classic American western tale (and Oscar-winning movie). Outlaws Butch Cassidy, Harry Longabaugh and Etta Place, strike it rich ripping off banks and trains in the Western United States until a special posse is sent to hunt them down. They collect their loot, escape to the remote South American plains and buy an 800 acre ranch, determined to go straight. For several years they do, but then they are found out. They sell the ranch and eventually (after Etta departs) the bank robbing begins again. Their fate isn’t as clear as the movies might tell you, but their Patagonian estate in Cholila, just a few hours from Bariloche still stands and is a fine place to explore. So is the bar just a half mile from the bandits’ old house, filled with fascinating paraphernalia and excellent beer and empanadas.

9. Hike Los Glacieres Parque Nationale

Most of epic Patagonia can be experienced from the Chilean side of the Andes. But this Argentinian gem is an exception. Los Glacieres is an immense ice field, one of the largest in the world, feeding hundreds of glaciers throughout the region. The geography has created two distinct areas for adventurers. To the north are the Viedma lake and glacier, along with Mount Fitzroy and Cerro Torre, popular for hikers and climbers. Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most popular attractions in Argentina can be found to the south, its channel draining into Lago Argentino. Perito Moreno stubbornly resists the warming trend that weakens its glacial siblings; gains and losses are in equilibrium for the time being. Visitors can join tours, ride horseback, camp, fish, and more.

10. Bust a Bronco in Cerro Castillo

You’ll recognize Cerro Castillo by the towering sculpture of a rearing horse at the big roundabout on the town’s outskirts. Perhaps its proximity to Torres del Paine is the reason, but this town has its own western charm. It has a long history in the wool shearing trade that remains a big part of the economy. Mule trains once carried wool across the pampas to Puerto Madryn. The town is also famous for its annual bronco busting horse festivals, called “Jineteadas.” The Jineteadas are divided into several parts throughout the year, one each weekend per month from December to March, where the local gauchos, Patagonian cowboys, compete. Time your visit accordingly to catch one of these great events.

There aren’t many places to stay, but we enjoyed the modest Riverline Lodge. Cozy rooms and a fine local restaurant.

Video - John Fedele

Explore Further

Read about the extensive travels of my Vagabond-Adventure through Patagonia in the Vagabond Journal and our journey around the world traveling all seven continents, never by jet, at Vagabond-Adventure.com.

For more suggestions, including additional information about the services and experiences throughout Patagonia, visit our Patagonian Recommendations. Recommendations are updated frequently. Leave any questions in the comments below or contact the Vagabond-Adventure to learn more. Travelers looking for expert guidance will want to contract with a local expert. I am grateful for the services of Luciano Galvez Martinez who did a wonderful job helping us through this vast land. He grew up in Puerto Natales, speaks excellent English and immensely knowledgeable.

Resource: https://vagabond-adventure.com/library/exploring-patagonia-ten-great-ways-to-experience-patagonia-with-recommendations

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See more:https://vagabond-adventure.com/vagabond-journal/bodo-to-narvik-bus-norway

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Cairo, The Flavor of Traffic

The beeping that emits from the automobiles of Cairo never ends. It makes the honking horns of Manhattan feel like a solitary walk through an English meadow.  In the Egyptian driving world beeping is not a sign of anger.

See more: https://vagabond-adventure.com/library/cairo-to-alexandria-travel-story 

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Wandering Egypt: From Cairo Streets to Alexandrian Shores

 

Driving Through Modern Cairo, Egypt , Navigating Cairo by Car

If you’re ever brave enough to drive in Cairo, Egypt, you'll need to do it like schools of fish do — fluidly, dangerously close to other cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, busses and Vespas; on the shoulder of the road when possible, making certain to ignore the signals and lines that have been laid out by the Egyptian government whenever possible. Failing to do this is to fail to be a proper Egyptian driver, and Youssef, our driver, was a proper Egyptian who could fish with the best of them.

He threaded his Toyota through the mayhem of Cairo’s streets, boulevards and highways, never stopping, because stopping is a cardinal sin. We circled immense roundabouts, skirted scores of every kind travel conveyance known to man or woman — scooters, tuc-tucs, leviathan tour buses, great clusters of microbuses the size of Volkswagen vans, every one of them jammed to the teeth with humans, so crammed that you couldn’t put a piece of paper between the people inside. Yet they seemed as comfortable and calm as a litter of sleeping puppies.

The beeping and honking that emits from the automobiles of Cairo never ends. It makes the horns of Manhattan feel like a solitary walk through an English meadow.  In the Egyptian driving world beeping is not a sign of anger. It is a language, a code. Each sound carries its own subtle meaning and all drivers understand the lingo. There are beeps that say, “I’m here!” Beeps that mean move along, or get out of my way, or careful, or stop or coming through. There are signals of frustration and every so often outright anger, but that is rare. Everything is somehow understood. I never witnessed an accident, although everything I saw on wheels was as battered and crumbled as a tin can in an alley. Apparently when there is an accident most people just move on unless serious damage has been done because most drivers don’t have insurance. All of this noise, I realized, serves the same purpose stop lights and stop signs and the lines on roads and boulevards serve, which was why they were all ignored.

Good thing, I thought, I was not driving. it would have been a merry game of bumper cars and there wouldn’t have been a driver safe from the chaos. No, it was best to leave the whole insane business in the hands of Youssef, and sure enough 30 minutes after we departed our hotel we broke out of the city unscathed onto broad ribbons of asphalt thereto to gape at the three Great Pyramids of Giza looking as if they had been dropped like giant blocks against the dense, sand-colored high-rise apartments that have erupted on the other side of the Nile. How two things created 4600 years apart could be so physically near to one other, but so separated by time dropped my jaw. We would visit them later, but for now, as the broad highway took us North toward the Mediterranean, they quickly disappeared in the rearview mirror.

Arriving in Cairo: Airports, Customs & First Impressions

We were on our way to Alexandria by car right now, but that hadn’t been our original plan. The day before, we arrived at Cairo International Airport. Cyn and I rarely travel by air, but we were forced to this time, from Athens to Cairo, because the ferry we thought we would take from Crete was shut down by the COVID epidemic. Navigating the customs process in Cairo was easier than expected — thanks to a man named Osama.

So in we came the way most outsiders do, through the crowded airport to gather our bags and bustle to customs.

The moment we entered the customs area, we found a man, or he found us, wearing a lanyard hung on his chest that assured us he worked for the Egyptian government. He was all charm and cheer with a thin head of hair, mustache and perfect teeth.

“Hello! Greetings! You have your visa?” He spoke in near perfect English.

We nodded.

“Wonderful, then we can rush you right through customs. Right this way.”

We thanked him, but I told him we first needed to get some cash to pay for a taxi to the hotel.

“Of course, of course,” says the man. “You need to get to a hotel. Let me help you with that, but here, here …” and in a heartbeat he had us at the counter exchanging money while he stood obediently nearby. Once we had safely stowed our cash, the man said, “Now we shall get you through customs.” He walked to the booth where custom agents stood. We saw him nod at one of them and got in a very short line.

“What is your name,“ asked Cyndy. The man beamed. “Osama, as in Ben Laden,” he grinned, and inclined his head, … “but no relation.”

While waiting in the customs line, he asked about our plans in Egypt. We mentioned we planned to visit Alexandria four days and then return to Cairo to board a ship up the Nile.

“Very nice. Very nice,” said Osama. Then he pulled out his phone and there was a rapid discussion in Arabic. I was trying to figure out what this man’s angle was. It’s not that I don’t trust most members of the human race, but when someone is this nice, and you don’t personally know them, there’s usually some quid pro quo in the cards. Yet he wasn’t asking for money or anything else for that matter.

Osama pocketed his phone and said with great pride. “I have arranged a car for you. It is a perfectly reasonable price.”

What was the price I asked?

“Only $20 American.”

That was high, I thought, but based on how far away we were and knowing we would be dealing with the kind of traffic 18 million people generates, it wasn’t worth debating.

“Thank you,” I said. “How do we find the car?”

Osama almost leapt with joy. “Here is my card.” He scribbled a name on it and handed it to me. “This is Youssef. He will be waiting for you outside and will take you to your hotel.” Then he added, “He will also drive you to Alexandria tomorrow, if you like. $80 American. The same cost as a train, but the ride will be so much better.”

I wasn’t sure of that but we hadn’t yet arranged train tickets and who knew what it would take to find the ticketing booths at the Ramses Rail Station. I had never been to Cairo, and suspected getting to the train depot and arranging ticketing there would probably be bedlam … on steroids. (I had already discovered you can’t effectively buy tickets in Egypt online). I said we’d look into it, but secretly thought it might be a different way to travel through Egypt. We could then take the train back from Alexandria and board the ship up the Nile in Cairo.

Soon we cleared customs and walked outside. Youssef appeared as if out of nowhere. It was a warm day and we were quickly surrounded. Youssef, however, a small man with buzz-cut hair, smoothly guided us through the crowd. He was a serious young man. None of the bluff and good humor of Osama. Once in the car, watching Youssef battle the traffic, it finally came to me how all of Osama’s good humor and personalized offers of help paid off for him. Being the clever man he was, he could never chance losing his government job by asking for cash directly. Instead he would have minions like Youssef available. He would shower us with kindness and help to build a relationship and then arrange to provide a driver, a driver who could take newbies like us all over the country, to every museum, every restaurant or city we wanted. Youssef would (I guessed) be supplied a car, a job with tips and maybe a cut of the car payment (but probably not). We would get our ride at a high, but not outrageous rate and might become longer term customers. Everybody wins, but mostly Osama because he would take the lion’s share of the payments. I couldn’t be absolutely sure this was the deal, but if it was, it was damned clever.

Once in the courtyard of the hotel, Youssef asked when he should pick us up for our drive to Alexandria in the morning. Eleven AM I suggested. “Yes. I will be there!”

Cairo to Alexandria by Car: What to Expect

Our road trip from Cairo to Alexandria began the next morning when Youssef pulled up on time, ready to battle the traffic once more. he was soon doing his best imitation of schooled fish. Traveling by car in Egypt offered a very different perspective than taking the train.

An immense bridge swept us east across the great river and then bent us north. Once beyond the pyramids we watched acres of high-rises, cranes and the apartment buildings pass us by, all in various states of construction.

After nearly an hour, we could still see the evidence of new development on the far edges of the city. Cairo seemed to be outgrowing itself, like an adolescent outgrows its clothes. (The population has grown 25% to 23M in just the last 10 years). Highways here were ten lanes in each direction and often clogged. Yet Cairo was minuscule compared to Mexico City or Tokyo.  How big could the world’s urban centers get, I wondered? How much growth could the world handle?  How much could any city? Over half the world’s 8 billion people now lived in cities, and the trend was accelerating.

Eventually, the thick parade of vehicles thinned as the Toyota sped us on toward Alexander’s ancient capital.  The number of buildings thinned out too. In their place we saw resorts, some of which had not succeeded, clusters of homes and beyond that broad orchards brimming with date and olive trees. The highway as four lanes wide and every so often a knot of people would shoot from one side of the freeway to the other, as if they had apparated out of the desert.  Where they came from or where they were going was unclear, but a microbus was usually involved. At another point the Toyota zip passed an 18 wheeler that read “Love Jesus.“ In a mostly Muslim country, didn’t expect that.

Meanwhile, Youssef, as bereft of English as we were of Arabic, stayed to himself. In fact he seemed unaware of our existence, treating us, whether we wanted it or not, to his favorite (and loudest) music — Arab Rock would be the best way to put it — while smoking one Egyptian cigarette after another.  Now and again he would assure us, “You like my driving? It’s good!!” Or sometimes, “Water?” Otherwise we lounged in the back seat and felt the wind from our open windows rush past like the days when I was a kid in the family car making our way to Virginia Beach.

Exploring Alexandria, Egypt: Food, Streets, and Local Life

By 2 pm we were weaving our way along Alexandria’s marvelous corniche, one of the most scenic promenades in Egypt, a great strand of road that skirts the Mediterranean, lined with cafes, buses, and the energetic rhythm of local Egyptian culture. It soon took us to the Steigenberger, Cecil Hotel. When I began to pay Youssef in Egyptian pounds, he was very insistent that he not only be paid for the cost of the trip Osama had arranged, but be tipped —Baksheesh in Arabic lingo. I hadn’t yet developed my theory that Osama probably owned the car Youssef was driving. I figured he owned the car, was being well paid and didn't require a tip. He did not see it that way.

“No, no!" He rubbed his thumb and index finger. "Tip. For airport, and here. I give you water. I drive good! It's a big long drive." It was my ignorance I suppose. But the way he demanded the money bothered me more than anything. His lack of English probably didn’t help. He pushed hard and was almost panicked. I suppose I would have been upset too if I had worked most of day, hadn’t made a dime and had to pay for the gas. Frankly I was exasperated, but we agreed on 1000 Egyptian pounds, about $20 and then Youssef, now smiling enthusiastically and shaking my hand, asked that we have our pictures taken together. “I will take you back to Cairo. Take you all around Alexandria!” I passed on the photo, and assured him that if we needed any help, we would be in touch. But we really didn’t want to be chauffeured around either city and the plan was to take the train back to Cairo. I never saw him again.

Alexandria Dining Adventure: Fish, Cash, and Cultural Confusion

My tete-a-tete with Youssef wasn't my only financial misadventure of the day. Once settled in our sprawling room at the Steigenberger Cecil Hotel, grand building on the Corniche seemingly plucked directly from the 1930s, food became a priority.

We dropped by the front desk where Cyndy asked if anyone could suggest a good local restaurant, a place where we could find the sort of meal one of them might like to eat.

“Down the corniche, to the left, perhaps a kilometer,” suggested a tall man with perfect hair. “Very good fish. Many of our colleagues and patrons go there.”

We stepped outside. The sunlight was golden with a warm, stiff breeze coming off the Mediterranean as we headed down the uneven stone sidewalks that lined the inner walk of the strand. Alexandria’s corniche rims the great sea that made so much of the ancient world possible; a ten mile promenade of cobbled walks bounded by beautifully crafted rock. It’s one of the world’s more arresting sites, and was a riot of activity.  Alexandria always is. Hundreds of microbuses wended their way along the great boulevard with 16 people jammed into every one of the bus’ four rows. Local folks called the vans micro-bassats (mee-krow bah sat), basset meaning local, and they are used by the millions throughout Egypt. And why not? It costs $.05-$.10 to use one, and you pay in Egyptian pounds to the driver when you get on. They dominated the road as we navigated the sidewalks, and climbed its big curbs, working our way through the city’s denizens. There were no tourist here, not one we saw; only Alexandrians – men at battered cafes, smoking strong cigarettes and sipping stronger coffee; street kids, mostly boys, maybe eight-years-old, wearing worn shoes and tattered jeans; women, young and old, clad almost always their hijabs, often arm-in-arm with another woman.

We weren’t finding many restaurants on our walk and as the sun dropped toward the sea and were beginning to wonder if we had somehow missed the place. We were about to turn around when we found it – Kadoura, it was called.

We walked inside to a wall of recently living fish buried in great piles of ice that showed off a variety of piscine delights. Four men faced us and quickly figured out we weren't local. They explained the routine. We had our pick of sea bass, prawn, crab, lobster, pretty much  anything that could be hauled out of the Mediterranean. All we had to do was choose the fish we wanted. We would be charged by the kilo, about 350 Egyptian pounds each or roughly $12 a pound. We ask the man to choose sea bass. He did and then gently directed us upstairs to a dining area filled with local families. At the other end was a large griddle and soon the fish was in front of us, grilled perfectly along with bowls of brown rice, fish soup, hummus, tahini, pickled vegetables, salad, and pita bread. It was all delicious, especially the sea bass, flash grilled, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. We picked it clean and scooped up all the rest. The soup was made of crabmeat, milk and butter broth, with small clams and shrimp thrown in. We wolfed it all down as we looked out the big window and watched the constant passage of people below. Then it was time to pay, and that was my second economic mishap of the day.

Egypt Travel Tip: How I Almost Couldn't Pay for Dinner

When traveling I keep cash in my right pocket. In cities where the exchange rate means you have great wads of cash on hand because of the exchange rate, I keep smaller bills on the right and the larger ones in a second left lower pocket of my Eddie Bauer Ascent cargo pants which can be zipped shut. When I searched my right pocket, I realized that after paying Youssef, I was short of Egyptian pounds. Certainly not enough to pay for dinnner.

How am I going to pay for this meal, I thought? I told Cyn the situation and then walked to the steps below to find the very dark, handsome man, who had waited on us.

“I’m so sorry,” I explained. “Is there an ATM nearby.”

“Of course,” he says. “Down the street.” He pointed down the street.

Off I went into the twilight, weaving through the crowd. In a couple of blocks I found the ATM. Not far away a woman was sitting with her son, wailing about something she was unhappy about and giving the boy, about nine-years-old a pretty hard time. She hit him once and he shrunk back. I felt badly for him. I wanted to tell him, “Come on, you can hang out with us. But what would that accomplish and he’d think I was nuts anyhow. I couldn’t tell if the mother was simply having a bad day or might have suffered from some mental or emotional disability. It’s a big world, I thought, much of it is filled with pain, and I felt powerless to make it go away. I waited for the man at the ATM in front of me. He was there for a long time. Finally he turned and looked at me. The machine was out of order. I tried it any way. He was right.

Now what? I stood in the Alexandrian darkness, marinating in the beeps and crowds and the distant sound of the Mediterranean’s pounding surf. I began to walk back to the Kadoura wondering what I would tell the people who ran the place. I had no solution really. Leave something behind as collateral until I returned with payment, wash dishes, clean the toilets, haul fish (I had once done something like this in London when I was stuck without and needed a place to sleep)? And then a light bulb! I felt for my left lower left cargo pant pocket, the one with the zipper. Yes!! That was where I had stashed the larger bills we had exchange at the airport with Osama at my elbow, the back-up, “fat” cash I did not keep handy in my right pocket. How stupid! But what relief! I could pay the bill! And I wouldn’t have to haul fish heads out of the brine all night to pay off the meal.

I walked back to hotel infinitely lighter on my feet and when I strolled in I saw Cyndy sitting on the steps, wide eyed. My God, I had walked off to work things out with the waiter and left the restaurant without letting her know I was in search of cash! The look on her face clearly said, “And you have been where?”

“I’m so sorry, honey” I said, with the waiter probably wondering what the big deal was. He didn’t know we had only been in Egypt for 24 hours and might have been hauled away by the authorities or worse. Too many movies where the bad guys are Arab.

I paid the man and Cyn and I sauntered back to the Cecil. She forgave me and not long afterwards we settled into out beds. I fell asleep thinking of great fish swimming all around me in the Mediterranean Sea with one continually coming back to me and saying, “Where’s my money?”

FAQ

Q1: Can tourists drive from Cairo to Alexandria?

A: Yes, although driving in Egypt — especially in Cairo — can be overwhelming for foreign visitors. It’s often easier to arrange a private car service from Cairo to Alexandria, sometimes right at the airport with help from a government staffer. Drivers are usually skilled and courteous, though English is not guaranteed. The trip takes about 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic.

Q2: How much does it cost to use a car service?

A: Prices vary, but expect something comparable to Egypt’s train fares for this route — often higher than buses, but with far more convenience. We paid $80 for two passengers, which was fair for a private ride with door-to-door service. A tip is expected — 20–25% is generous and appropriate.

Q3: What is the Steigenberger Cecil hotel in Alexandria like?

A: Built in 1929, the Steigenberger Cecil Hotel still feels like a grand, romantic Alexandria hotel from that era. Overlooking Saad Zaghloul Square along the vibrant Corniche, it’s hosted everyone from Winston Churchill to Al Capone. Rooms lean toward black, white, and bronze decor. The staff is welcoming, and the breakfast buffet is legendary — eggs, fresh pastries, hummus, baba ghanoush, fruit, cereal, and more. Just don’t expect decaf coffee.

Q4: What can we expect from the Alexandria Corniche?

A: The Alexandria Corniche is a sweeping waterfront promenade bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on one side and city parks and buildings on the other. It’s loud, energetic, and distinctly local — you won’t find many tourists here, or many restaurants though there is no shortage of street food. What you will find are unbeatable views of the sea and skyline, especially near the distant Citadel of Qaitbay, built where the Lighthouse of Alexandria once stood.

Driving from Cairo to Alexandria gave us a firsthand look at Egypt’s chaotic charm and Mediterranean beauty. Whether you're traveling by car, train, or microbus, both cities are rich with culture, history, and unexpected surprises.

This is Dispatch XXXVIII in a series about a Vagabond’s Adventures - journalist and National Geographic Explorer Chip Walter and his wife Cyndy’s effort to capture their experience exploring all seven continents, all seven seas and 100+ countries, never traveling by jet.

If you’ve enjoyed this dispatch, please take a look at Chip’s other adventures (and misadventures) … and don’t forget to check the Vagabond Journal and our Travel Recommendations to help you plan YOUR next adventure.

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Resource: https://vagabond-adventure.com/library/cairo-to-alexandria-travel-story

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10 Unforgettable Travel Tales Every Adventurer Should Read

 

10. Into Thin Air - By John Krakauer

Despite being a true story about a misbegotten group of tourists attempting to climb the summit of Mt. Everest, John Krakauer’s book often leaves even fine novels in the literary dust. The story he tells rises, like the great peak itself, slowly, and then builds to a remarkable climax. Each of the characters is brought alive by Krakauer’s careful and detailed descriptions as they make their way upward; their backstories carefully tossed like seeds throughout the book so that when the climax (or multiple climaxes) arrive, the effect is horrifying, sad, exhilarating and satisfying all at the same time. The research Krakauer did to write the book places him in the pantheon of great narrative non-fiction writers like Tom Wolfe and Truman Capote. If you haven’t bought it, do so now and enjoy every minute. On Barnes & Noble.

9. Seven Pillars of Wisdom - By T. E. Lawrence

In this book T.E. Lawrence, the inspiration for the epic David Lean film Lawrence of Arabia, relates his own rise among the Arab tribes to help overthrow Ottoman rule during World War I. It’s an astounding story and whatever you may say of the outcome, it stands as one of the most remarkable military and human tales of the 20th century. Lawrence describes his role in what he called “a procession of  Arab freedom from Mecca to Damascus;” a series of battles that changed the face of the Middle East and helped meld tribes into the nation states we know as the Middle East. The experience tried his own mental and emotional mettle as he endured torture, thirst, horror and personal loss as well as military success. His writing, which can occasionally be overly dramatic, is also moving and eloquent. “For years we lived anyhow with one another in the naked desert,” he writes, “under the indifferent heaven. By day the hot sun fermented us; and we were dizzied by the beating wind. At night we were stained by dew, and shamed into pettiness by the innumerable silences of the stars.” The story does not digress; it is detailed, realistic and unflinching, and it pins you to each page like a spell because the cultures, climate, locations, politics, dangers and remarkable characters are unlike anything the world ever seen. On Amazon.

8. South - By Sir Ernest Shackleton

In 1914, veteran adventurer Ernest Henry Shackleton set sail to anchor his ship Endurance on the ice of Antarctica and then walk the length of the new and unknown continent, a feat that had never been accomplished or even attempted before. He dreamed that fame and fortune would follow. He was right, it did, but not for the reasons he thought. He failed at his goal, but then went on to lead one of the most remarkable rescues in the history of human adventure. Shackleton’s team was undone before they began when ice floes destroyed the Endurance and forced them to abandon it. Though they unloaded provisions from the ship, they were without shelter, limited food and nowhere near any sort of help. For  nearly 17 months they trudged across ice floes, hauling three lifeboats with them until in April 1916, Shackleton decided to plunge the lifeboats into the sea and sail for some spit of land. Five days later they found Elephant Island, a place never inhabited by humans. It was the first time the 28 men had stood on solid ground in 497 days. But Elephant Island was hardly a safe haven. On April 24th, Shackleton set out with five other crew members into the open sea with one of his 20 foot boats. The other two he left with the remaining crew. They promptly flipped them over into makeshift cabins where the 22 men planned to live until rescued.  For 800 miles Shackleton’s little lifeboat fought heavy seas, frigid cold and Force-9 winds. Yet, somehow, after 18 days at sea, Shackleton and their skiff made it to the island of South Georgia. But they had arrived on the opposite side of help. So with two other crew members, Shackleton spent the next two days crossing the island’s treacherous landscape until at last he found a whaling station. From there, after several failed attempts, he managed to get back to Elephant Island on a tugboat to rescue the remaining 22 men. When he arrived August 30, 1916, in the dead of the astral winter, every one of them was still alive.  This story doesn’t carry the elegance and force of a masterful writer like Saint-Exupery or Ted Simon or John Steinbeck, but it doesn’t have to because the story itself is so remarkable. Drama is on nearly every page, and you can’t help but want to know, how will they make it! And the photos that accompany the book are remarkably stark and beautiful. (You can buy an e-book version of this book with original maps, pictures and drawings for $2.99 at our Vagabond Adventure store.

7. The Great Railway Bazaar - by Paul Theroux

The 1970s were a time when baby boomers were growing into adulthood and some of them did not want to spend their days in faceless factories or corporate offices. That included Paul Theroux who decided to travel from London across Europe, through the sub-continent, down Southeast Asia, then circle back to London by way of Japan and and the length of Russia, all by train. He wrote The Great Railway Bazaar in 1975  when travel books had a dirty name, and along with Bruce Chatwin and Ted Simon brought back the thrill of new cultures and dangerous deeds like Patrick Leigh Fermor and Richard Halliburton did when they mastered the form in the 1930’s and 40s. Theroux is a writer with guts and a remarkable eye for the significant detail. The pages of this book bring the story alive with beauty and insight and absolute honesty. He never shies from the truth as he sees it, which can be brutal, funny, surprising and moving, the very elements you want to see in any story. On Amazon.

6. Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors - By Piers Paul Read

British writer Piers Paul Read’s Alive is one of the most riveting escape and rescue stories yet written. In some ways it surpasses Ernest Shakleton’s South. In 1972 a jet with 45  members of an Uruguayan Rugby team and their families and friends crashed in the Andes mountains. Sixteen people, traumatized and injured, somehow survived, but their prospects for living very much longer were long. They faced temperatures well below zero at 11,000 feet with little food. The two and a half months the group lived together created a crucible out which extraordinary decisions were made. They survived storms, frigid cold, an avalanche, and the anguish of losing so many loved ones by creating a miniature social system that was an object lesson in human in courage, determination and the finest in human behavior. Daily duties were divided, and food was rationed, including the grisly decision to eat the bodies of the crash victims, often members of their own families. There were squabbles and deep concerns over the eating of the victims of the crash, and not everyone pulled their weight, but the system worked. In the end, the group agreed to increase rations for two leaders, Roberto Canessa and Nando Parrado, so they could attempt to hike out of the mountains and save the group. For two weeks, carrying make shift sleeping bags and gear created by the survivors, they scaled a 15,000 foot mountain peak and hiked for ten days and 38 miles to the valleys of Chile where exhausted they finally found help. Read tracked down the survivors when the world heard their story and interviewed all 16 in immense detail. He toyed with fictionalizing some parts of the book (he was a novelist, former writer for the BBC and the Sunday Times), but decided that simply telling the story as clearly as possible was enough. He was right. If you aren’t utterly smitten but this book, I’ll buy you dinner. On Barnes & Noble.

5. In Patagonia — By Bruce Chatwin

For shear beauty of phrase and description, Bruce Chatwin’s book is difficult to top. But even better is his remarkable story telling ability. Once you begin to read In Patagonia, the book becomes your companion. And even when you put the book down, his words reverberate.  With the publication of this book in 1977, Chatwin helped revive travel writing when publishers had lost interest in the art. Chatwin himself said he didn’t see the book as a travelogue. Instead he meant it as a series of stories he wanted to tell as he worked his way by foot and bus and thumb across some of the wildest territory on earth. And he succeeds somehow weaving in tales like tracking the house down where Butch Cassidy lived, to mesmerizing fables about unicorns and Bigfoot like creatures shared by the people he meets. As he travels, you have  the sense of movement and travel, but you would be hard pressed to know what route he took precisely though the vast land. It doesn’t matter, though because in so many ways the book is a journey, but one of the mind. You’re enthralled with geology and history and myth, and above all the remarkable people he stumbles into. In this way, the book is utterly unique and unfailingly engaging. On Barnes & Noble.

4. Travels with Charley: In Search of America  - By John Steinbeck

Not long after Steinbeck wrote My Travels With Charlie (1962), he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his remarkable and considerable body of work (The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men to name just two of his masterworks). My Travels reminds you why. The book was Steinbeck’s personal effort to reconnect and understand America by circling the nation during the 1960s in a camper of his own design with his dog Charlie. On their journey he reveals bits of nation, its people, its varied cultures and himself, one simple story at a time to create a timeless mosaic. It’s not a travel adventure in the mold of South or The Worst Journey In the World, but its is a quietly powerful adventure nevertheless, steady, engaging, always insightful in the Steinbeck’s beautiful and direct language, and his unerring ability to capture dialogue.  Don’t think that the time difference makes the story stale. As with all of Steinbeck’s work, the writing is direct, but deep. Especially in this book you feel as though you are sitting down with a close friend as he reflects with disarming humor and intelligence all that he sees and experiences with the wry and authentic eye of a true genius. On Barnes & Noble.

3. Wind, Sand and Stars - by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Wind, Sand and Stars - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s most famous book is his children’s classic, The Little Prince, but his most beautiful and exciting book is The Wind, Sand and the Stars, tales of his days as an aviator for Aeropostale (later Air France) in the 1920s and 30s. It is simply one of the most beautiful books ever written, unless you don’t care for enthralling human insight, epic vision or love of the written word put to the pen of a master story-teller. Saint-Exupery was among a group of early aviators who faced danger the way knights of old slayed dragons. A flier first and a writer later, he skated through the skies on single-wing, sing-propeller craft at a time when by-the-seat-of-your-pants was the primary way to get to and from exotic locations like Casablanca, Tangier,  Cairo, Dakar, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile. The book is rich with daredevil adventures, near death experiences, stark beauty and the wonder of flight when flight was still a miracle. A key theme is that while flying these early contraptions annihilated time and distance unlike anything else before. It also opened the world to unknown cultures and people, and forced an appreciation for nature’s stunning and awful power.  Each chapter is broad and varied, but Saint-Exupéry fuses them with common themes of courage, honor, empathy and high purpose.  They read almost like fables, but stunningly rich fables, because in the end it is Saint-Exupery’s extraordinary mind and heart and command of language that raise the book far above mere autobiography or memoir. Yet, he is always humble and modest. His love of the common man is in every word. To learn more, read my article “A Prisoner of the Sands” about Saint-Exupery’s near death experience when his airplane crashed in the Sahara Desert. On Amazon.

2. The Worst Journey In the World - By Apsley Cherry—Garrard

It’s an unlikely title that lead National Geographic to choose  Worst Journey as the greatest adventure book ever written, but it is a classic, and absolutely true to its title. In 1911 Robert Falcon Scott, already a redoubtable British explorer, brought 11 men with him to Antarctica to become the first humans to reach the South Pole.  Scott would be racing another expedition, Norwegian Roald Amundsen’s competing party who were just as determined to succeed. Scott lost the race to Amundsen, but the story of his heroic effort lives on in this book written by one of the survivors, 23-year-old Apsley Cherry-Garrard. At least as astounding as the race to the pole, is Cherry-Garrard’s telling of another hair-raising expedition that began before the polar run with Scott. Cherry-Garrard and two others man-hauled two sledges into the teeth of Austral winter to locate and return the unhatched eggs of emperor penguins.  Nearly every day for weeks they fought temperatures 50 degrees below zero and winds of 100 mph. At one point winds whipped their tent away. Somehow, through all of this they, survived. Both of these stories, and Cherry-Garrard’s frank and powerful first person descriptions of what he and the members underwent, make for riveting reading that still stands up despite being exactly 100 years old. Included are unique maps and the stunning drawings and sketches Edward Wilson created to reveal a frozen world like nothing the human race had seen. Maps and photos of the team, even as they neared death, are also included. That alone makes the book worth reading. For me, this is truly one of the world’s most memorable adventure stories. It brought both the fear and exaltation of hazard and courage directly into my hands and I found it mesmerizing. I think you will too. (For more information read my article describing the remarkable journey in the dead of the Antarctic winter. An e-book version of this book with updated preface and original maps, pictures and drawings is also available for $2.99 at our Vagabond Adventure store.

1. Jupiter’s Travels - By Ted Simon

The last I heard Ted Simon is still alive at 90 and still riding his motorcycle. But in 1973 when he convinced the Sunday Times to back his idea of traveling the world on a motorcycle, he didn’t even have a motorcycle license. (After failing the test once, he did manage to pass shortly before departing.) The experience took Simon 64,000 miles, across 45 countries and through every adventure imaginable from being thrown into a Brazilian prison for ten days, to wrecking his motorcycle in Africa, to moments of ecstasy in Peru. He even fell in love in a California commune. Simon’s special talent (he has so many) is not simply his ability to describe what he sees, but to reflect on his experiences in profound, moving and often hilarious ways. His ability to look inside his own mind and then relate those thoughts and feelings to his readers is truly remarkable and often as powerful as any insight you might hear from the novels of Tolstoy or James Joyce. Sometimes his descriptions, internal or external, are so beautiful, that I found myself putting the book down not to stop reading, but to savor the phrases like an excellent wine.  Never egotistical, his unique and eloquent insights teach us about ourselves as much as about him and the people he meets. That he managed all of this on a single motorcycle in the span of four years is both remarkable and courageous, and you feel it on every page. The book never flags. On Amazon.

Resource: https://vagabond-adventure.com/library/the-10-greatest-adventure-and-travel-books-ever

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