When we came to Alexandria, a city of Egypt, I, longing for novelty (as a thirsty man longs for fresh water) departed from these places as being well known to all, and, entering the Nile, arrived at Cairo.
In The Travels of Ludovico de Varthema, 1863. Translated by John Winter Jones. Ed. Hakluyt Society, London. p.5
After my previous post where I tried to clarify some basic issues related to Ludovico de Varthema and his book, Itinerario de Ludovico de Varthema, it's time to actually ding into what matters: who was this man and why is his book so interesting. Varthema's basic life and travel facts are easily retrieved. But what else can we collect from his writings?