Drifter Dave - Travel the Unknown
Drifter Dave - Travel the Unknown
I'm a travel-obsessed Canadian who lives to explore the worlds lesser-known destinations that deserve to be discovered.
After visiting 128 countries on 6 continents so far, I have come to appreciate that some of the best experiences on Earth can be found in places far off of the tourist trail, in areas that are often overlooked by mass tourism. From West Africa to rural Cuba to the furthest reaches of the Canadian Arctic, you'll always find me discovering places that few people visit, but should!
As a former school administrator and senior high social studies teacher, I am passionate about learning as much as possible about the unique cultures and people in the areas that I visit. When I'm not travelling, I call Calgary and the Canadian Rockies my home.
Please subscribe & hit the bell icon to be notified about future videos! And feel free to reach out with any travel questions you may have, or to just say hello! I try my best to answer each comment :)
Happy Drifting!
Dave
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Mashallah
👍
No it sucks here don't come here
Why do you say that?
The most expensive place in Mexico
Definitely! But well worth a visit 👍
I love the recognition, though I wish you mentioned the steel plant.
I hadn't heard of it! I was only in town for one day, so didn't get a chance to explore as much as I had hoped! It was a bit of a spontaneous visit.
been to sydney countless times and i law alot of new things watching
I'm glad! Pretty nice little city 👍
@@DrifterDave glad you had a good time, definitely will continue to check out your videos
did you go to grosse ile?
Yes! I have two other Magdalan Islands vlogs, plus a full-length version if you prefer to watch it all at once. Here's the link to the Grosse Ile / Ile de Grande Entree video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/c2h13KSxe72-ndo.htmlsi=_inc39VUh-jFeVqy
i seen two homeless people fighting over crack in sydney the other day
Let's hope a new government can help clean up our streets, as this is a problem across the entirety of Canada, not limited to one province or another (though, BC is arguably the worst).
So, pro-tip from a local that's taken this trip: When leaving the harbors, it is going to be rocky (basically until you're no longer surrounded by land). It's just the way the boats are designed and how the water cavetates around it in the harbors themselves. Once you hit open water it gets much smoother. When you're still in harbor though, if you like wildlife, I would suggest finding a window or if the weather permits, head up on deck. Pretty much until you're passed the point acconi lighthouse (or what's left of it, basically, the cliff face on the North Sydney side of the harbor that is the last 'close' part of land), you have a really good chance of seeing otters and other sea life around the boat. The otters, especially like messing around in the wakes of the boat before it really gets up to speed. From when you lose sight of the Cape Breton highlands, until you get to Newfoundland, if you look back towards the wake of the ship in the summer you have a very good chance of seeing Dolphins playing in the churned water and sometimes they'll swim along side. If you're lucky you'll also see the occasional pod of whales. The trick for finding whales is to scan the horrizon to see if you can see any spouts. Once you do, watch the area of the water it came from and if you're lucky the whales might put on a show of breeching and tail slapping.
Very cool, thanks for the advice. I didn't see much during this September trip, but that's good to know for the summer months.
So, to explain why the museum closed: It's a non-profit organization that relies on the student employment program to run. The government generally only allows 8-10 weeks for the summer employment of students (starting June) so thats why you see a lot of those smaller things closing. They just don't have the funds to employ people full time. This video, despite being posted only 3 weeks ago, is also out of date as there is now a new ship that does the Argentina run (just started a few weeks ago).
This video was filmed in September 2023, so that's probably why. That's clearly indicated in the video description. Good to know about the new ship & why so many tourist sights close relatively early in the smaller towns 👍
Hey love ur vids❤ my family is actually planning to go on this exact trip😅😅
Awesome! I hope you have a great time!
@@DrifterDave thanks
I live there I'm not in Sydney but New water ford I Always travel to go back because Town Doesn't have much
You live in a beautiful part of Canada! I definitely enjoyed my time out there 👍
Thanks for visiting Sydney..... it's beautiful in the summer time here. Always welcome back anytime :)
Thank you! I would definitely like to return to Cape Breton to see more of the island. I'll be back!
I lived there from '76-'79 when my dad was stationed there. As kids, we had a blast!
I bet! I would have loved to explore the island back during the height of operations - I'm sure it was a great little community.
Glad you came to visit our foggy little island! Fun fact: the First Nations name for Cape Breton is "Unama'ki," meaning "Land of the Fog." I think i heard you say it was in September, which is a shame, since all the beauty, good weather and fun stuff happens between June and late August. But I do agree with others that Sydney is, for the most part, pretty boring. The real fun and adventure lies to the north on the Cabot Trail, or south at the Fortress of Louisburg, and all through-out on the many hiking trails, parks, and lakes that criss-cross and dot the island. I hope you get a chance to come back during the summer.
I would definitely love to come back! I'm sure the weather is much nicer in the summer months - will definitely try to make it out there again next year 👍
I am from egypt .. Really someday i go there Thank you for this vedio
I hope you get to visit someday!
@@DrifterDave in shaa ullah
This is the Pyramiden of the US..with the main difference being this is still somewhat populated
@@BMeanies Very true!
@@DrifterDaveYou should DEFINITELY go there
@@BMeanies I visited Pyramiden back in 2015, before I started the channel! Would have LOVED to film the experience. I only have photos 🤷♂️
That nice lady at Prothero's Post was worth the trip all by herself.
Definitely! I have heard that she has since retired, and her granddaughter has taken over operations of Prothero's Post. Grace will be dearly missed!
Alaska Never flew their own aircraft to Dutch, I believe they codeshared with Pen Air
@@dylanshaffer2184 I think you’re right! But from what I recall, it had Alaska branding on it (at least when I flew it in 2018) - just like the Horizon Air planes or Delta Skywest. I’ll have to check my photo archives in case I’m imagining things 🤷♂️
Home of our hearts Cape Breton... the flies "no see ems" lol lil black flies
Would love to return to see more of Cape Breton - maybe next summer!
My home city
Amazing!
It's actually the 3rd largest
Metro? I read somewhere the entire Cape Breton Regional Municipality is technically the second-largest 'city' - let me know if I was mislead!
@@DrifterDave You're not mislead. There are no more "cities" in Nova Scotia, at least not administratively. Halifax (Regional Municipality) has a population of around 550,000, and Cape Breton Regional Municipality (Sydney and the towns that surround it) has a population of about 110,000 people, so your statement is correct.
That was my understanding as well! Thanks, @w.a.l5202
Most locals consider Ice Hockey their religion, so you might want to change your comment to fit the new religion. Canadians have not been challenged by a major war that might cause them to look deeper within themselves. If this happens then churches and chaplaincy might once again gain some importance within them.
That's very true. I heard that church attendance is declining in the Maritimes, but I'm not sure what motivated that decline and why it's more of a rapid decline in the Maritimes compared to the rest of Canada. Reginald Bibby has some good research about the phenomenon - it's pretty interesting!
@@DrifterDaveas a M26 Cape Breton resident, I think it has a lot to do with the dissatisfaction with the establishment of the church, and people are turning to other community building events like square dances or simply spending time hanging out. It’s not easy though, I will be honest.
Interesting phenomenon, to say the least!
Great video, I live here. I love this place. There's no other better place, the best seafood best golf, best scenery amazing food list goes on
It's a great part of the Maritimes for sure! I can't wait to go back and explore it more fully 😎
@DrifterDave cabot trail for sure and lobster fishing season is May 15th to July 15th ill hook you up with splendid freshly cooked lobster
That would be amazing! Would love to visit during the lobster fishing season.
Welcome to my hometown hope u enjoy your stay and its prob little black flys there allot tmof them around here
I survived! 😂 I've since moved on from Sydney but it was a great visit - thanks for having me!
I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to our picturesque island. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos as you explore the Maritimes.
I did enjoy my visit! Keep your eyes peeled for my journey into Newfoundland. And if you're interested, I released some videos of Charlottetown & the Magdalen Islands a few months ago - check them out!
@@DrifterDave - I watched your Newfoundland ferry ride, Charlottetown visit, and your trip to Magdalen. My uncle lives in Montague PEI so I took that ferry a few times over the years. Never been to Newfoundland but that ferry ride is on my bucket list... ride over, stay the night, ride back. :) You should consider revisiting Cape Breton... Sydney is okay but there's so much more here - tour the Fortress Louisbourg, Miner's Museum in Glace Bay and tour down into a coal mine (Glace Bay is also the site of a Marconi's first Trans-Atlantic transmission) and of course, if it's the fall, rent a car and travel around the Cabot Trail and enjoy our celtic colours. So much to see here beyond the waterfront area :)
@@KennCrawford I bet! This was a spontaneous visit to Sydney - I was originally going to fly to St. John’s, but when I saw an award ticket to Sydney open up, I jumped at the chance to head out a couple days early and take the ferry to Newfoundland instead! Unfortunately the rental car costs were prohibitively expensive ($130+!) so I was limited to where my two legs took me! I still had a great visit - but you’re right, there is plenty more that I missed that I’ll need to return to explore! 😎
I live in there
@@NathanDavidsen Amazing! Lucky 😎
@@DrifterDave cold
Haha!
Need 2 Learn about Africa from You
Africa is amazing!
When are you visiting South Sudan?
When it gets a bit safer for tourists!
Glad you enjoyed the very few things we have here. This place is a dump. Drugs addiction is rampant. Can’t trust anyone. The new bugs came from all the fucking Hindus, can’t find a decent road to drive on. Theft of personal property on one’s own property is beyond. Assault , and missing people left and right. It’s a fucking shit hole. North Sydney is a shit hole so is Sydney mines. And I live here in Sydney mines .
Hi! Very informative video. I have a 12 hr layover in Munich. Just wondering if there won’t be any problem going out the airport since I am a resident of Spain and don’t hold Schengen Visa. Will they allow me to exit and enter the airport? Thanks!
That all depends, I suppose. Are you coming from outside of the Schengen area? If so, you'll need to pass through Schengen customs. If you are coming from Spain, then you will not pass through customs but can leave the airport without any problems.
Back in 1969 I was a radarman on the USS Joseph Strauss DDG-16 and while on a mission to pick Up some scientists on Amchitka Island, we stopped at Adak Island. Back then it was in full operation and very busy.
I bet! I would have loved to see the base back during its heyday 👍
First class video friend thank you please keep the great videos coming. From Scotland 😊
@@iainpaton1865 Thank you for the kind words!! 😎
Did you just bleep out covid? What the heck why
Back during Covid, any videos that mentioned the word were either demonetized or removed as "controversial subject matter". I wanted to talk about it without getting the strike, so censoring the word was my only option. Otherwise, the video would have either not appeared on YT, or at best I'd have made zero dollars from the content. It was a strange world back then...
Is this on the newest ship of their fleet that was delayed for a month? Is this a rougher ride than the short ferry ?
I believe it's the same ship! As for the rougher ride, I'd say that's a given, as the route to Argentia enters the open ocean (and you can definitely feel the sway) compared to the relatively sheltered Port-aux-Basques crossing.
@@DrifterDave thank you I was on the shorter trip in June , reserved seat on the way there , cabin on the way back . Worth getting the cabin for the overnighter.
I could see that! My cabin was extortionate but I know that I wouldn't have been able to function the next day without one. I was also healing from a major neck injury at the time, so I really wanted something comfortable to rest up! In the future, I think I'd try to bring an air mattress and set it up in the theatre area - seemed to be a common theme among some passengers.
These bugs are new they started yesterday!!!!
They're so annoying! I hope you can adjust to them without too much bother! 😂
That is actually Westmount on the opposite side of the Sydney Harbour not North Sydney. The indigenous Mi’kMaq peoples proper pronunciation sounds like (Mig Maw) not meegmaw. LMAO they’re small black flies which we refer to them as “no see ums”. The lady obviously just moved here the day you landed here!😂 East Indian immigrants are here because of the University recruitment process. And yes it’s hard to find nicer people in Canada 🇨🇦 then here… well maybe except for Newfoundland! 😉
Thanks for the clarifications! I figured North Sydney was somewhere out there, lol. Thanks for having me in Sydney! 😎
Your Airbnb host is a huge slumlord around Sydney. He has treated new comers like they were subhumans. I’m surprised but glad you had a positive experience with him.
Are you sure it's the same person? He and his wife were incredibly kind to me, and it didn't seem that he had any sort of widespread rental business. Just a couple rooms in his AirBNB. I definitely had a positive experience & the house was beautiful and comfortable 👍
@@DrifterDave I am very sure unfortunately. Thank you for showcasing Sydney though! The videos were nice to watch. If you ever come back, I suggest checking out the Cabot Trail. ☺️
I did the Cabot Trail back in 2011, but was plagued with horrible rain the entire time - definitely on my "need to return to" bucket list! Thanks for your kind words & I'm glad you're enjoying this Maritimes series!
You should check out Mare Island in the Bay Area. It was another Navy base that closed in 1997 and has been left to decay.
I definitely would love to get out to Mare Island someday! It's on my to-do list in terms of abandoned places. I think Saint Marie (Montana) is next because it's relatively near to where I live & would be a cool road trip!
Very well done video bud.
Thanks for the kind words! 😎
Great place to visit, but it costs 1:21 more to live here than Seattle, Wa. Gas $5/gal, water $3.50/gal. Propane is less at $1.75/gal. Meats are more, rent is.more because it is a beach town. Building is more (90 lb bag of concrete in Seattle is around $13, in Todos Santos is $23.) Craft beers cost the same. These are just some examples. The only thing that costs less is eating out, about 2/3 the cost. As I said, great place to visit, but too expensive to live.
It definitely seemed a bit expensive! That makes sense - it's also fairly remote, so that might add to it. Mexican economics is very interesting - there's a wide disparity between communities.
Oh my goodness, the food at the Black Spoon Bistro is phenomenal 😊
Totally agreed! It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's a true local gem. Very hard to locate restaurants like that in such a small town!
@@DrifterDave had lunch there a few years ago, and the one thing that impressed me the most, was the presentation of the meal. My brother-in-law is a Red Seal chef, and even he’ll say that 90 percent of the meal is the presentation.
Definitely! I was very impressed 😎
The flies we call “no see ums” I usually don’t notice them 😅
We definitely don't have them here in Calgary! They were new to me 😂
@@DrifterDave I think they are or are similar to midges
I'm glad we don't have them out this way! 😂
You are lucky you didn't go to jail, when I was there about 20 years ago, if people didn't bring you food, well you starved. I also would never travel with you, your judgement is so poor for your own personal safety. I can't believe you rode in that taxi, I watched them do so many dangerous things, there are no road laws there man.
My type of travel isn't for everyone - I just finished overlanding (mainly by 'bush taxis') all the way from Morocco to Nigeria. You do you, buddy! To each their own.
@@DrifterDave truth
It the city of Flin Flon!
I never get really caught up with the distinctions - definitely a town-sized city, in this case!
I was station there in 1992....it was beautiful, alot of great memories,,it was so isolated, you would get hazardous pay,while station there😊😂
I bet! I couldn't imagine living there in the dead of winter - it must have been quite the experience!
@DrifterDave you get used to the cold,if it let it get to you it could depressed you.i was there 4 two years,then I got orders to meet my next command at Somalia, the lst,Fredericksburg, was already over there,quite an adventure,,enjoy adak it brought great memories,a lot od the places you sowed they were so familiar to me,,tnx,and bless you...!
I lived up in Canada's Arctic for three years and for me, I hated the cold! But I couldn't imagine both cold and wind. Glad you were able to get used to it!
also visit the neighboring Louisbourg and Baddeck i'm sure you get inlove with CapeBreton like me.
I'm sure I'd love them! I've always wanted to visit Louisbourg - really wish that I had got a rental car for my time there, but they were running well over $150 a day. Not exactly in the budget.
@@DrifterDaveduring cruise ship season rental costs are high and the availability is extremely low. Also the insects were most likely Gnats
I do tours there weekly! I uploaded a few videos of Louisbourg, I would also recommend trying a Donair if you’re not into seafood… cheers
That makes sense! I figured I only had a day, so given the cost, I'd just make a video about what to see and do in Sydney, but would have loved to include Louisbourg & other nearby sights. Next time!
Nice! I should have got in contact with you to ask about a tour. Too bad! Next time 😎
Ive lived here for 3yrs now everyday is so beautiful.. it's seriously like living in a painting. The wildlife and nature is so raw it's incredibly breathtaking
I completely agree! Absolutely amazing island 😎
I’m confused as to why you said the Lord Fin and Feather was there since 1976….
It was noted on one of their signs out front!
@@DrifterDavethe original is in Glace bay since 1976 on commercial street I believe
That's good to know!
I'm looking at your $20 Brunch Burger (11:07). Where's the beef?
LOL - in southern Canada, I think. You definitely need to learn to make food stretch up in the Arctic! Having lived there for about a year at the time this video was filmed, I had thought at the time that the burger was borderline gluttonous 😂
@@DrifterDave :) I thought you would get a laugh.
I did!😂
Glad you enjoyed downtown sydney !
Thank you!