Tea Hawker Night Boat Mostaganem

Brilliant fluorescent tubes mounted beneath a weathered canvas awning cast harsh, shadowless light onto rows of stacked tea sacks. A hawker stands beside the goods, their hands resting near burlap sacks filled with late spring harvest. The boat deck shows signs of dampness and salt, with spice dust settling on the wooden planks and the hawker's shoulders. Layers of cargo recede into the darkness, creating a deep tunnel of illuminated merchandise against the black water. The air appears thick with heat haze under the tarp, blurring the edges of distant sacks. A reflection of the harsh white bulbs shimmers on a wet patch of wood near the hawker's boots.