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Sharm is the main area of the "Red Sea Riviera", a major diving center at the tip of the Sinai peninsula.  There is a lovely coral reef close to the land, in some places accessible to snorkelers from long piers.  Our hotel, in fact, has a floating pontoon pier off the beach that allows swimmers and snorkelers to see the reef close at hand with little effort.  The hotel is a typical beach resort -- every room with a balcony facing the water, a beach covered in chaise longues and bars, and a pool in the center.  Rather than using one of the US or European chains, Wilderness put us in a local chain hotel.  The location is fabulous, and the off-beach snorkeling unique, so their choice makes perfect sense.  It also, however, provides the unique cultural experience of observing devout muslim women at the beach.  The area around the pool is crowded with women in full hijabs tending their children, and even out on the piers there are fully-covered women watching their kids snorkel.  In some places along the coast there are women-only beaches, but the family aspect of this resort seems more fun.

The view from the hotel is interesting from a historical perspective, as well.  We look out directly on the island of Tiran, which has been used to block access to the Gulf of Aqaba at various times in the last 40 years when tensions in the area have been high.  The recent history of Sinai is obvious everywhere, most intriguingly by the presence of both Egyptian and Israeli army posts.  The 1/3 of Sinai closest to Egypt is policed by the Egyptian army, the 1/3 closest to Israel is policed by the Israelis and is open to Israeli citizens with no passport, and the middle is shared.  The resorts further up the Gulf, closer to Israel, were built during their occupation and are even now largely used by Israelis.   Sharm is an entirely international city, with tourists not only from Europe, but also from Russia, Poland, and Asia.  It is a polyglot community.

In the evening, after a quiet day at the beach, we headed in to Na'ama Bay, the center of the Sharm community and the first resort location.  We followed the walk around the Bay, passing hotels on one side and restaurants on the other.  The beach has been almost entirely covered by commerce, and there are only a few feet here and there remaining for use.  After walking all the way around the Bay, we had little choice but to return to the main street.  This is a commercial district that wouldn't be out of place on any resort island, complete with a Hard Rock Cafe, no less than 3 Nike stores, and neon palm trees.  The stores cater to the diverse origins of the tourists, with English being used more as a default language than anything else -- we hear little English as we walk the streets.  

After the history and magic of the Nile, Sharm is rather jarring.  Hundreds of hotels, women walking around in bathing suits, and nothing older than twenty years.  It's an entirely different Egypt.  I'm amazed by the difference from my last visit to Egypt, when Sharm was mentioned as a beach town, but apparently there were only half a dozen hotels around Na'ama Bay and it was a quiet community.  Now there's a Ritz with a golf course.  The airport is similarly interesting, with direct charter flights going to every city in Europe, including both Moscow airports. 

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