In 1990, soon after Germany knocked England out of the World Cup, I decided to leave Germany and moved to El Mansoura in Egypt. I went there with the help of VSO, Voluntary Services Overseas. I spent two years trying to help set up a special English department at the University, teaching students of engineering, dentistry, pharmacy, agriculture etc enough English so that they could do their job more effectively. Apologies for the quality of the images. They were all taken in the pre-digital era...

In all the time he was there, I never got tired of palm trees. This picture was taken on a visit to my colleague's house for lunch. Thanks Mahmoud for a great lunch and for suggesting this picture! If you click on the picture, you can see it enlarged.

Camels are strange creatures but by far the best way to travel across the desert. I spent a week travelling through the Sinai with a group of Bedouin.

Dahab was famous as a hippy colony in the 1960s and there is still a part of Dahab that remains undeveloped - but for how much longer?

Many Egyptians have never been to Sinai because 'there's nothing there'. Well, nothing except spectacular mountains, stunning oases, scorpions, snakes and at night, more stars than I had ever seen in my life. This picture was taken from the top of Mount Sinai at about 5.30 in the morning.

The incredible temple at Luxor. Amazing to think that these columns are thousands of years old. I was there during the first Gulf War - hence the absence of heaving crowds of tourists, leaving me to juggle in peace, well, just the occasional papyrus seller.