Published in the University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine and Public Health Quarterly magazine, Winter 2006.
Editor's Note: Last fall, long-time Quarterly photographer Bob Rashid was invited to join a team of healthcare providers affiliated with the UW School of Medicine & Public Health and UW Hospital & Clinics on a trip to Kazakhstan. Rashid, also a talented writer, had been along on one of the first trips to Kazakhstan a decade ago.
Journeys to Kazakhstan:
A UW Medical Team Celebrates a Decade of Public Health Progress
Written by Bob Rashid
Mornings are the best time to enjoy Almaty. During the night, a cool breeze drifts down from the nearby Tian Shan Mountains, whose jagged and snow-capped peaks form the border between Kazakhstan and China. Water trucks hose city streets throughout the pre-dawn hours, washing away layers of dust built up from the previous day. The early air is fresh and clean, spiced with sweet smelling moisture. For a while, it is a pleasure to breathe.