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Mhazzaa is my virtual friend. We've been following each other's photographic submissions on www.deviantart.com for the past two years now. Whenever he uploads a street shot from Cairo or comments on one of my portraits from Asia, I am notified and prompted to respond. Our exchange tends to be brief and incredibly witty [of course]. We prefer to say less than too much. We're slaves to the negative space that shapes our words and images. Mhazzaa is an ally of mine who, for all I know, exists only in cyberspace.

I can think of two perspectives on this emerging pseudo reality which we call Internet. The first circles around more sinister aspects such as abuse and distraction: I go through computer-intensive phases where I find myself checking emails and other online movements at the speed of thought, having mastered the 'Alt + Tab' keyboard shortcut with compulsive efficiency. Between writing this blurb and finally publishing it in my blog I will have taken half a dozen skype calls and clicked on various youtube links recommended by friends and family around the globe, all whilst researching ancient Egyptian mythology and woefully discovering the mysterious 'Helicopter of Abydos' to be, not carved by the glowing index finger of ET, but dispelled as a mere palimpsest.

In this grave interpretation I escape into the Internet to numb my sorrows. I seek immediate fixes and avoid responsibility. Undoubtedly it's a privilege to feel this connected to the world, and the stimulus and information which the web provides is beyond awe inspiring - but it cannot satisfy my soul.

There is a lighter side, of course. It occurred to me when Mhazzaa invited me to be his guest in Egypt. By now we had established a basic repertoire and knew each other's occupations, marital statues and lens preferences. We shared a sense of humour and an approach to taking pictures. Meeting up felt right and even important, somehow - what a great way to honour the media we were both using whilst also elevating it to the next level. The Internet: Not merely a downward spiral leading to psychological neuroses and loneliness but a portal to human dignity through encounter on the physical plane. Now there's an inspiring thought.

So here I am back in Cairo and blogging again after a week and a half in Egypt. It's been a while since I last attempted to share my thoughts and pictures. Meanwhile, I've visited the Great Pyramids, ventured all the way down to Abu Simbil near the Sudanese border and back, and come face to face with my very special cyber and now real-life friends Mahmoud (mhazzaa) and his wife, Heba - who couldn't possibly make me feel more welcome here in Cairo.

I hope you enjoy this first batch of pictures taken in Cairo and Giza. Stay tuned for images from Hatshepsut, the fellucca and the Osiron's mysterious flower of life!