[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-06zGN_T6CRg/U2SsFN7wZWI/AAAAAAAAby0/4MyApY9cP8U/s144-c-o/IMG_0038.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6009117008458704226″ caption=”The watering jetty pumping sea water into the crab ponds” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0038.JPG” ]

Headwind, choppy sea and strong current
Pos: here
Loc: Ilha besides Ilha Grande
Acc: tent
Dist: 34,6 km
Start: 6:05 End: 15:45

The first night on the beach was so refreshingly breezy, this night was dead calm, hot and muggy. The fishermen came and went off via the jetty all night, working noisily on their fish in that arrival hall close to my tent at 2 am. I had to chase some vultures sitting on my kayak and cats trying to climb my tent away, noticing still everything through my earplugs and sleeping mask, necessary as the jetty light was shining right into my tent.

Fortunately some man came along at first light and was so nice to help me to carry my kayak down. Me carrying then three heavy gear bags he rather was watching from the arrival hall. Caballero brain closed for this morning, the kayak was heavy enough…but he eventually came down the jetty again with two other guys to watch me pack. All good, no problem…

It was a bit of a shallow paddle and just about finding deep enough water to get out of my hopefully last mangrove channel and into the big bay. The wind freshened up just reaching the bay, 1z knots, later more than 15 all day. Sure right from the face. Additionally the tide is just bad these days, running against me from 7 to 1 pm. When it was supposed to turn, the wind was so strong and the sea choppy I barely was faster than before. Really unpleasant paddle. This will probably be all days until Fortaleza and beyond like that…

I tried to seek some calmer water by going deep into the bays, this was where I got pushed anyway. I had marked a beach from the sat image on an island 7 km further, but was really relieved when some other inviting place at a river mouth suddenly came up bright and clear. Nothing better than a dry yellow beach in sunshine standing out of the ever green mangrove wall!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-R8OQlrnzZe4/U2SsDq4aqRI/AAAAAAAAbys/xS2YmKhwXtQ/s144-c-o/IMG_0036.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6009116981869586706″ caption=”Camp on a lurking white beach” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0036.JPG” ]

The beach was relatively solid on mid tide, no mud fight on a fake barely sand covered muddy place. Some houses and some dry crab ponds made the site friendly.  I walked up to the locals to ask for a camp site, as it looked all so private here! Sure no problem, they were helping me to get my gear to a sandy spot a bit away from the house by the crab ponds. Just behind the long watering jetty which connected the ponds with the sea water, when the pumps were on. Some old lorry was obviously helpful to dig them out initially. I just wonder if the ponds are still active?

I felt not much of my medication today, was relatively powerful in the paddle without long breaks into the headwind! Twice I could grab some fishing pole at least to relax a bit longer…