A top their heads

Mu'iz Street was once the centre of Cairo, during the Fatimid period, and it isn't hard to see why. And in some ways it is still a centre in its own right. It bustles with all sorts of people - tourists and hawkers, men going to the mosque to pray, Egyptian men and women rushing down the cobblestone street, or sauntering, stopping at the shops that don't sell tourist souvenirs. There is a sense of community here, there is a side of Cairo that you don't really see anywhere else, and I can't put my finger on what it is.

This morning was filled with experiences that fit perfectly into that description of Mu'iz Street, the best of which Scorpionkiss has detailed in his journal, of meeting this woman, balancing a large tray of bread on her head.

Looking through the photos from the past two days, I was struck by the amount of people who do just that - carry bread, food, trays of all sorts, boxes and sacks, on their heads. I created a set on flickr that I will continue to add to as I take more of these pictures. My favourite, although the darkest of all is the young man on the bicycle, simply for his amazing skill.

Today's photo in black and white