Follow the "alchemist" through Morocco to Egypt.

The treasure hunt

The AlchemistThis is the story of Santiago, a shepherd boy, and his journey in pursuit of his dreams and destiny. He often leads his flock of sheep throughout the Andalusian countryside, making friends everywhere and having many interesting experiences. One night, Santiago stops at an ancient, abandoned church with a large mulberry tree. In his dream, he sees himself being led to the Egyptian pyramids. The dream keeps repeating, so Santiago seeks out a fortune teller to interpret it, and receives the advice, "Go to the Egyptian pyramids..." The interpretation doesn't satisfy Santiago. But then, an encounter with a strange old man, Melchizedek, who claims to be the king of Salem, strengthens his belief in his dream. From here, Santiago's journey to Egypt to find treasure officially begins.

This journey took him from the Andalusian countryside, to the southernmost point of Spain in the city of Tarifa, across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco, and through the Sahara Desert to the Faiyum oasis. The Egyptian pyramids were the final destination.

Readers only learn that Santiago comes from a town with a castle perched on a hilltop and that his father wanted him to become a priest of the local St. Santiago Church. With over 200 castles in Andalusia, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where Santiago's journey begins. In Andalusia, with its rich history, ancient beauty, and breathtaking scenery, any place could be a great starting point...

The windy city of Tarifa

For many, Andalusia is the heart of Spain, with its captivating turquoise coastline, ancient architecture steeped in Moorish culture and history, fiery flamenco dances, bullfights, and exquisite tapas.

Tarifa, Spain's southernmost town, also known as the "wind capital of Europe," is a world apart from the rest of Andalusia. The main gate of the old town, where Santiago met the King of Salem, now stands in Puerta de Jerez square, connected to the medieval city walls built to protect it from invaders. With its rich cultural and historical atmosphere, countless charming and cozy restaurants alongside endless stretches of white sandy beaches, this beautiful town attracts countless visitors from around the world every year.

Tarifa and the windswept beaches of Los Lances are situated right on the Strait of Gibraltar where the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas meet, overlooking the Moroccan city of Tangier in the distance. Thanks to this unique location, the town is blessed with strong winds and big waves. No one brings a swimsuit to Tarifa's beaches, as it's a place for visitors to try their hand at water sports, especially kitesurfing and windsurfing.

Clear seas, verdant mountains, golden sunshine, narrow old streets, simple white houses with blue-painted window frames—peaceful and romantic, all encapsulated in the breezy town of Tarifa. Leaving Tarifa is so difficult! That explains why Santiago keeps hesitating to travel to Egypt...

From the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) in Tarifa, I took a ferry to Tangier, which is just over 30 km away. There are eight ferry trips back and forth every day. The ferry ride takes 35 minutes, but due to the time difference between Tarifa and Tangier, I arrived at the same time I departed.

Tangier, the legendary gateway to North Africa.

When Santiago arrived in Tangier, he learned a life-changing lesson that remains relevant to travelers today: always be wary of thieves, especially when traveling alone. This is something to remember when traveling anywhere, particularly Tangier, even though the city has strived to become a safer destination for tourists in recent years.

My first impression of Tangier was its vibrant, bustling streets and stunning beaches just a few minutes' taxi ride from the city center. Along the beach are traditional North African souks, frequented by tourists from all over the world, offering a wide variety of unique local products, with prices for tourists always 3-5 times higher than for locals. On the hills are rows of white houses facing the sea, creating a romantic and picturesque scene. Tangier's culture and history are rich due to the blending of many great civilizations such as North African, Spanish, and French, giving the city a mysterious, unique, and rare beauty. This bay has for generations been a prosperous city of Morocco, situated at the crossroads where North Africa meets Europe, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, and where Western civilization blends with the profound life of Islam.

In 1923, Tangier was designated an international city by a treaty between nine countries with interests in Morocco: France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Portugal. This "international city" in the 1950s attracted and inspired many international writers and artists, contributing to making Tangier one of Africa's most impressive tourist destinations.

One of Tangier's most famous cafes is Café Hafa, perched atop a cliff overlooking Tangier Bay. Looking at photographs of its patrons such as Paul Bowles, William S. Burroughs, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones, I noticed that the interior has remained unchanged since its opening in 1921, retaining its unique charm – a blend of European flair and North African warmth. Café Hafa's specialties are Maghrebi mint tea and a special Tangier beer. Maghrebi mint tea, a traditional Moroccan drink, is green tea mixed with mint leaves and sugar, and can be enjoyed cold like iced tea, given the year-round hot weather here.

A blend of Eastern and Western, ancient and modern cultures, the city boasts a wealth of interesting destinations, from Dar el Makhzen, the former Sultan's palace, to the Art Museum, the Archaeological Museum, and the Kasbah, a mosque with unique architecture, or St. Andrew's Church... The Gran Teatro Cervantes, built in 1913 in a striking Art Deco style, although now dilapidated on the exterior, was once the most prestigious theater in North Africa.

Besides its mysterious cultural and historical landmarks, Tangier's modern neighborhoods are also unique, featuring intricately carved archways and decorative details in warm, earthy tones such as brown, olive, silver, amber, and especially striking turquoise.

The largest market in Tangier is Petit Socco, whose entrance connects to the seaside promenade. It's also the gateway between a modern, civilized Tangier and a legendary, ancient Tangier. Nowhere is more suitable than Petit Socco to immerse yourself in the life of Tangier's people, with its explosion of colors, sounds, and energy, reminiscent of the Persian markets of yesteryear...

But the influx of people from all over the world has plunged Tangier into chaos and disorder, a situation that persists to this day. Goods are more expensive than elsewhere, the city is unsafe at night, and the beaches are rife with touts trying to lure tourists… Once again, the lesson of Santiago is reiterated: one must be especially vigilant against scams and theft in Tangier.

But there were also things I couldn't learn from the "alchemist." Santiago had followed a camel caravan from Morocco to Egypt. Because it was impossible to travel overland through Libya at that time, I had to fly to Cairo.

From the Faiyum oasis to the ancient pyramids

After a tiring journey across the Sahara Desert, Santiago and his caravan arrive at the Faiyum oasis (also known as El Fayoum) with its lush green date palm trees. This is where he meets and falls in love with a young girl, Fatima, and where he is introduced to the "alchemist".

"The shepherd boy could not believe his eyes: the oasis was not a well surrounded by a few date palms—as he had read before in a history book—but much larger than many villages in Spain. The oasis had hundreds of wells and countless colorful huts nestled among fifty thousand date palms."

As described in the book, Faiyum is much larger than I expected for a desert oasis, with a population of around 300,000. It's the oldest city in Egypt, dating back to the Pharaohs, and boasts many fascinating historical sites, making it a suitable destination for a day trip from Cairo, just a 2-hour drive away. There are no camel riding tours to Faiyum, as the oasis is 100 km from Cairo across the Sahara Desert. However, there are numerous guided tours of Faiyum by car, with prices ranging from $150 to $1,500.

"Perhaps God created the desert only so that people would appreciate the date palm," was the thought of the seasoned alchemist. Santiago, however, thought, "One day these thousand date palms will be just memories, but for now, to me, they are shade, water, and a refuge from war."

For me, Faiyum is the final destination of my treasure hunt. My treasure isn't gold and silver like Santiago's, but a sense of peace in my soul.

The oasis is situated in a depression along the shores of the salt lake Qarun and is watered by 200 waterwheels from the Nile River. Just outside the center of the oasis are three lesser-known pyramids, including the pyramid at Meidum, the pyramid at al Lahun, and the Amenemhet pyramid at Hawara. Also present is Wadi al-Hitan, the Valley of Whales, where 40-million-year-old whale skeletons have been found, evidence that the area was once a vast ocean. Wadi al-Hitan was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. These sites are relatively close to the Faiyum oasis and camel rides are often offered for those interested in archaeology.

The oasis is so vast and rich with archaeological sites that even though it's possible to travel to and from Cairo in a day, tourists often choose to stay overnight. Tourism services in Faiyum are highly developed, with no shortage of upscale hotels and restaurants, along with all sorts of amenities for visitors – to the point where I could forget I was in the middle of the desert.

In ancient times, before airplanes, cars, and air conditioning, in the Sahara Desert, considered one of the harshest places on the planet, a healthy person, if lucky enough not to encounter scorpions, venomous snakes, or bandits, would soon crumble under the scorching sun and desert sandstorms. Yet, there were always footprints on the sand dunes, traversing entire continents, of merchants, pilgrims, and nomads, carrying goods, food, weapons, and an iron will, blended with a touch of adventure and faith.

What enabled desert travelers to maintain their health and spirits during such arduous journeys? The answer lies in oases. Caravans had to pass through oases to replenish their water and food supplies. Alongside the tribes living there, they could relax under the shade of lush date palms, enjoy the rare, cool, fresh water, and then continue their long journey the next day amidst the golden sands and blue sky.

It's difficult to describe Faiyum – dusty, sun-drenched and windy, vibrant, bustling, hot, exotic, dazzlingly colorful, and brimming with life. The markets in Faiyum are a lavish labyrinth, a dizzying whirlwind of light, music, boisterous laughter and shouts, strange, mysterious smoke and the distinctive aromas of the Middle East, dozens, even hundreds, of different languages ​​spoken by locals and tourists, snakes, monkeys, and sweet dates. From the elaborately decorated houses in ancient villages to the children playing in the streets, the winding roads, the cool breeze from the lake blowing through the gorges, and the endless orange sand dunes of the Sahara. Therefore, I find it hard to describe Faiyum; how can one possibly grasp the beauty of this verdant oasis in such a short trip? How can one fully comprehend the joyful exclamation of gratitude felt by ancient travelers upon seeing the green of the date palm forest in Faiyum after days of wandering in the desert?

Santiago's journey across distant, uncharted lands led him to his dream, making the reader realize that "life is only worth living when one has the ability to fulfill their dreams." If we have such a "master alchemist" to guide us, why shouldn't we dare to dream of our own journey from sun-drenched Andalusia to the mysterious pyramids of distant Egypt?

It took four flights across three continents, hours of wandering through mountains and deserts, and camel riding across the Sahara dunes, but every moment of this journey was incredibly worthwhile. Because, as the "alchemist" said, "life is very generous to those who pursue their destiny."

Huong Thao