breast cancer awarness month

october is breast cancer awareness month....and wonderful organizations around the world are drawing attention to breast cancer along with other important women's health issues.

i took these photos in cairo last october, when the first susan g. komen race for the cure was held at the giza pyramids. it was incredibly powerful to see so many egyptian women (and supportive men) out to race --and erase--the stigma of breast cancer in egypt.as breast cancer and other women's health issues are still taboo, breast cancer is often detected in later stages, and the event aimed to raise awareness.

the pyramids were even turned pink at night! sadly, i wasn't there to see that in person...just in the newspapers.

participants and the sphinx post-event...notice the usaid logo on the hat--the event was supported by the american people!

sailing in cairo

i'm on a roll with all of this boat talk--i guess i'll keep it coming! i went to cairo for work last year, and the hotel we stayed in was right up my alley--directly on the nile, and pictures of fellucas at sunset on all of the promotional materials in the hotel. we even had nile views from our conference room! i was hoping to get out on the water all week. on the last day of our conference, i finally walked across the street with some co-workers, negotiated with a boat owner, and jumped on a felluca. i'm sure the negotiation was a prolonged process, at is it everywhere, but in my memory, it was quick and easy. we had no wind--none at all--but it was still a wonderful way to end a long week of work in the busy city of cairo. the owner pushed us upriver with an oar, and we floated back down. at least i got some good photos of the fellucas!