The sea around Kopraina is too shallow for large ships to dock. They dropped anchor out to sea while passengers and cargo were unloaded into small boats that brought them ashore. All goods were then loaded onto wagons and taken from the quayside to the warehouse. The local labourers, with their scarves and colourful shirts, were responsible for pushing the carts full of sacks of flour, sugar, coffee, rice, beans, lentils etc. When it rained a lot (which happened all the time) the buildings seemed to float on water, as land and sea became indistinguishable. Children were thrilled when a ship arrived: they would swim next to it and collect the petty change dropped by the passengers.