Uk Travels

It has been a long time since I posted anything to the blog but with only a few months before I leave the UK I decided to post some of my favourite shots from the last two years. There is no rhyme or reason to the location except they are all in England.

Fountains Abbey - Cellarium

Castle Rising - 12th Century Norman Castle in Norfolk

Stone Henge in December 2010

The black and White Desert

One more set of very overdue photographs. These were taken earlier in the year and marked my return to the desert since my trip to Siwa in 2005. Consisting of two main deserts, the white and black, these first photos illustrate the first hour of our journey in the Black desert as we left the oasis town of Bahirriya and headed off the beaten track. Arranged by the lovely K, mentioned in the previous post, this trip allowed me to fully use the three memory cards and two batteries I had brought along. If you have the time and it is not too hot I highly recommend this trip. Our guide was excellent and the food he cooked on the two day excursion was perfect, hot and filling. I can't wait to go back!

There you used to be a town in that view.

These hills remain jagged and hard to climb despite centuries of erosion by the desert.

Travelling to Ibn Taluun

It has been a while since I blogged any photos from my last year in Egypt. A combination of slow Internet combined with my general apathy means I have a lot of catching up to do. This entry captures some of my favourite pictures taken on my journey to the mosque of Ibn Talun. Recommended by my friend K, a long weekend and plenty of time meant I took up her recommendation. The opening photo was captured at the main Cairo train station where my journey, trip, began.

Mubarak train station.

A man hand makes the Tabla drum with which no Egyptian music is without.

The geometry of this shot appealed to me. I'm one mosque away from Ibn Talun.

This is the inner courtyard of Ibn Talun. The pictures doesn't quite do justice to the sheer scale of the place.

A new beginning

This blog has been started in anticipation of a life abroad. I have signed up for one year's teaching in Egypt and intend once I am qualified to teach on the international circuit and generally do my best to travel till the bank manager calls. My partner in crime, or should I say lady in waiting, is signed up so here's to the rest of my life. (You might notice a flair for the dramatic :-) ) Though I am based in the UK for another month I will kick start this journal of sorts with some background and what I hope to be the general theme to come.

At the tender age of twenty-seven I have decided that my life's calling is teaching. I have until recently lived in Egypt for just over three years, most of which was spent teaching, and intend in 2008 to qualify as a history teacher. I am currently on an MA programme in British History in the hope that it will improve my appeal to employers. The main aim of this blog is to write about my experiences, good or bad, and hopefully post a lot of pictures, which along with diving is my main passion. Hopefully you won't be stuck with a years worth of Egyptian sites but bear with me if you do. The picture I leave you with was taken last year on the Nile at Luxor and is of my brother. It typifies the life I expect to lead as Egypt is in so many ways a relaxing experience.