Risky Business

When the riverboats ("lanchas') are docked at the Iquitos harbor, a lot of little boats converge on them to load and unload cargo. When you look down from one of the lanchas, as when I shot this picture, you appreciate how precariously these little wooden boats are wedged in between two large, extremely heavy, metal  hulls.  If another lancha arrives and tries to squeeze in to the dock, or a big wave moves through, these boats would be snapped like a breadstick. [NOTE: The lancha shown on the right with the yellow railing was called "Ferry's. It was my favorite boat to take upriver to Jenaro Herrera (see Jenaro Herrera)].