Helmet Floating in Eddy Water Beside Raft

Crisp noon light freezes airborne grit against dramatic, darkening clouds above the wet season landscape near Arequipa. A white whitewater rafter helmet floats in the churning eddy water, its surface slick with moisture and reflecting the flat glare. Beside it, the edge of a raft cuts through the turbulent current, tethered by a rope. The water churns with white foam, against the deep, shadowed troughs of the eddy. Dry, open fields stretch into the distance, their golden grasses standing still under the heavy sky. The helmet bobs slightly, a solitary object of fierce commitment amidst the raw, moving water. A dark shadow falls across the foam near the raft's hull.