Tue 20/01-2015 Day 756

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2gmhQw4vMC0/VM4FQ7n3fiI/AAAAAAAAlJ4/RFOWXrTutx4/s144-c-o/IMG_1117.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage22Brazil5SalvadorToRioDeJaneiro#6110827532829294114″ caption=”Just nice…” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1117.JPG” ]

 

Highlights: Landed in time
Lowlights: Had to move my tent on high tide
Launch: Sheltered beach
Landing: Low surf
Pos: here
Loc: across Ilha dos Andorinhas
Acc: tent
Dist: 36,3 km
Start: 5:45 End: 12:35

Did I write yesterday I had that tiny beach for myself? Yes, until low tide cam after 3 pm,you had to either swim or stay away. At 7.30 pm you could walk dry to the main corner of the beach and to the parking lot,which gave a police man the chance to visit me and to tell me camping is not allowed here either,just since s few years. They obviously protect their lovely rocky pocket beaches here around Guarapari. Well, I explained my”casa speciale” and he was friendly to let me stay. What else…the wind and waves were once more whipping up the sea like hell all after noon. Another beach walker at lowest tide at 10 pm at night was scaring me a bit more…what was he doing there, walking in darkness out to the rocky point, into a dead end? He was stumbling noisily over something and cussing in a low voice, this is why I heard him, but barely saw his silhouette which made me sit upright for a while. Probably gone fishing in a protected area…

Today the lovely rocky pocket beaches stopped at some point, many villages and cities to watch instead.It was quite low wind in the morning, but as it was around new moon, Karel fore casted again strong wind in the after noon – and the sea raising a lot more! I turned around a long jutting break water of a river mouth, and around a few smaller rocky points, all along quite sheltered water and possible to land every where. Not really to camp though, as the beaches are all narrow. I decided to land behind the last reefy sheltered corner, where I saw a spot of a wider flat beach. Not sure if the landings were getting worse as the coast was trending again south and slightly south east then to hit another river mouth. And usually, the wind breezes up strongly around noon, which it was just on the edge again. A good decision, as as soon as my tent was up the sea already looked quite ugly, the tiny reef shelter was gone and wind was again over 20 kn.

I was reading cozily inside my tent, when a car was honking over me on the small drive way. I did not really react on a honking car to stick my head out of the tent -should they come down if they wanted something from me! But surely I glanced out of the tent window- and quite soon realized why they were honking…my shallow all so dry looking sandy platform was started to get flooded on the bigger waves…high tide was one hour later. the waves really became ugly, the sea was raging again, and I moved for once my tent on meter higher, no more space behind me left. My kayak got across my tent toward the sea for a bit of protection. I waited out a few more flooding breakers, one crawled even slowly under my tent floor and pressed my kayak slightly against my tent, until I decided I need to leave this spot NOW!

I checked the tiny dune spots between my beach platform and the small dirt road, and fortunately found a flatish spot slightly to the left. I really had underestimated the highest tide of the months today! I quickly moved all heavy bags out of my tent, and dragged the whole thing with the lightweight stuff still inside up to the new spot.With a bit of padding, all was good here! My old spot eventually got a bunch of more breakers reaching up that level, and I may have been happy about that honking car…my book was just too good to notice earlier! Besides, reading, those longer windy afternoons are really boring as I don’t enjoy beach walking in the hot sun. I just need to be in the darkish shade of my tent after those sunny mornings on the water. Tomorrow’s fore cast is similar…see again how far I am getting!

4 comments on “Tue 20/01-2015 Day 756

I am part of a club in Rio de Janeiro and we are planning to welcome you here in Rio. I sent you an email about it. We need to know when you expect to get there, and how long do you plan to stay.
We are excited to welcome you the best way we can!
Safe paddling!!!
Flavia

Don

Looks like you will be in the state of Rio de Janeiro Wednesday. Only 5 states to complete your trip around Brazil and one Country to go after that.
I’m still amazed you are able to paddle a fully loaded kayak nearly a full marathon a day on average.
It will be interesting to see how the conditions change when you round Cabo Frio.

Karen

Thank goodness the people in the car appeared at the right time and were concerned for your safety.
It is amazing how love appears in different forms!

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