|
The Second Coming: Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Via Poland and Gemany
Summer 2008 Sharm El Sheik
 |
Cairo Airport new terminal |
 |
This is our very nice driver and guide that took us to Saqqarah and Dahshur. On the next day he also gave us a lift to the airport. |
 |
So finally our days in Cairo were over and we were heading to the Sinai Peninsula.
We decided to fly to Sharm El Sheik, as domestic flights in Egypt are not very expensive and buses take a lot of time.
But of course we didn’t stay there. Why didn’t we stay in Sharm El Sheik, one of the most advertised and famous places in Egypt’s Read Sea? Well, because Sharm El Sheik only exists because of the tourism industry.
|
 |
The city was built as a resort town during the 80’s; there was no village there before.
Of course a lot of Egyptians, mainly from Cairo, have settled there to work on the tourism industry.
Yet it’s a city without soul, what some call a tourist ghetto, where people go to soak up the sun and that’s all.
I understand that this kind of cities exists, but I don’t like to go there. |
 |
Why? Because when you go to Sharm el Sheik you’re not in Egypt! You don’t see anything typical, there is not a real local culture, and you could be anywhere else in the world because everything you see is the beach and the tourist shops.
Virtually every Egyptian living there works in tourism.
These kind of cities exist everywhere in the world where mass tourism is the law. We have Agadir in Morocco, Hammamet in Tunisia, La Baule in France, Lloret Del Mar in Spain, Cancun in Mexico, Punta Cana in the Dominican republic, Varadero in Cuba or Kuta Beach in Bali to name a few. |
 |
In general, people go to these places looking for the sun and the beach, not the local culture, and a lot of them don’t even go outside their resort hotel.
Well, that’s why we headed to the bus station as soon as we arrived in Sharm El Sheik and went to Dahab. |
 |
Nevertheless Sharm El Sheik has beautiful surrounding landscapes and some really good dive sites.
It’s not a bad place to be if you’re looking for the sun, the beach and having fun.
Just keep in mind that if you stay in Sharm El Sheik, well, you’re not really in Egypt. |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Sharm El Sheik bus station |
| |
|
