Freya Hoffmeister – eine Frau paddelt rund Australien

Furchtlos ?

Warum steigt man auf den Mount Everest? – Weil er da ist! Warum aber muss man im Kajak Australien umrunden? – Naja, warum eigentlich nicht?
Dass es möglich ist, hat bereits ein Australier gezeigt. Dass es besser, sprich: schneller, möglich sein kann, beweist nun eine Deutsche: Freya Hoffmeister, attraktiv, bewundernswert, spektakulär leistungsfähig mit dem gewissen Etwas. Sie benötigte für die 13 714 km lange Umrundung Australiens 332 Tage und damit 29 Tage weniger als Paul Caffyn, der Anfang der 1980er-Jahre als Erster diese besondere Leistung vollbrachte. Meist ohne Begleitung, aber immer im Blick ihrer vielen Bewunderer, die ihren Fortschritt Tat für Tag im Blog verfolgt und kommentiert haben. Ihre Aufeinandertreffen mit Krokodilen, widrigen Wellen, ungünstigen Winden, Walen – und Männern – waren nicht ohne.
Besonders faszinierend ist die Ambiguität des Autors, der Schwierigkeiten mit dem „Freya-Faktor“ hat und zwischen Faszination ihrer erotischen Ausstrahlung und Verwunderung ob ihrer absolut knallharten Sportlichkeit, der alles Wehleidige und Aufgeblasene fehlt, schwankt. Wenn Freya Hoffmeister etwas vorhat, dann tut sie es. Punktum. Und sie tut es mit Erfolg.

„Dein Abenteuer hat alles, was ein Kassenschlager haben muss: Begeisterung, Spannung, Schrecken, Liebe und Kraft“, schrieb eine Bloggerin. Recht hat sie!

Finish 2nd stage!!!

I had a safe flight home, enjoyed my birthday yesterday with my family and will now dive into all work which needs to be done from home – including preparing the next leg along Venezuela and further along the coast! I may occasionaly update here, but not daily any more. Have a nice summer!

The Gulf of Venezuela is almost as salty as the Dead Sea...

Pos: here
Loc: boarder Colombia/ Venezuela
Acc: house in mining company Cerrejón
Dist: 26,1 km
Start: 5:00 End: 09:30

The campfire the boys started yesterday for pleasure, I assumed, turned out to obviously a “watch fire”, as at midnight, when I woke up briefly, the fire was high and one guy was on the watch, looking frequently around with his probably night sight binocular into the dark night. What for? Protecting me and my tent from the many donkeys and goats around?

Now I put one and one together – the careful check around when we landed, the 1/2 hr trip into the bush of three men well armed with their guns and pistols, maybe even the talk with the locals that afternoon who might have told them of some observations…the guys are fearing suspicious elements being around here in the border area! It all looked so peaceful to me paddling and landing…but they must know. Narco traffic bloody active here, and FARC is not out of question either in this area. I couldn’t say my sleep was better after this insight, but I covered my eyes with my sleeping mask and trusted the night watch.

At 4 am, the guys started to move the boat noisily off the anchor, although I wanted to wake only half an hour later…oh well, not going to argue with some one being early… and this is the last night on the beach for now!

Paddling was of the easiest again, dead calm water and low wind coming amazingly from the west from the land. I had to watch some jutting out reef spots in the very shallow now crystal clear water when I paddled close to the shore, that was it. It was overcast, and a few rain drops were falling down from the dark sky. But soon the rain increased, and the wind changed to the east within minutes around 9 am. No problem, I would be at the border soon!

The rainy season obviously had started now, the attempts of the last days of the grumbling thunderstorm and few rain drops seemed to have it’s highlight today. It was raining even on the drive back almost all the time!
We stopped at the level of the police station which was marking obviously the border, my plan to paddle to the headland tip was obviously 1.8 km too far. Finish of this leg!

I put on my tiny wind breaker jacket and pants, expecting a long 160 km and chilly ride back to Puerto Bolivar on the coast guard boat. My boat got strapped and padded well, and the boys wanted me first to sit with them on the stern area for “security reasons”. I shouldn’t  have been there, as despite I was sitting with the back to the wind and the sea was calm enough for no bumping and jumping, I was soaked withing minutes from the rain and was freezing very soon.
I insisted to move to the bow, sitting down in a more or less wind protected spot on the ground, pulled out my e-book in it’s Aquapac, added a layer of fleece to my soaked gear which didn’t really made a difference, and tried to survive the trip without getting frozen to the bones. Just about…

3 1/2 hrs driving on calm seas with rain would be ok if you’d be warm enough and not soaked, but I was neither of that. Still all better than high seas, jumping and bumping and standing all the time in the stern like I did on many other long rides!

Arriving back to Puerto Bolivar, I was stiff from cold and squatting in my corner. But I had the outlook of a long summer break at home now! I washed my kayak, and took pictures of all the many “war marks” and repairs my poor baby had to suffer since Valparaiso. But it sounded like Point 65 is happy to outfit me with a new boat very soon! I am happy to have paddled my own specially designed Point 65 “Freya” kayak, as it proved to be exactly the model and style I need for such a trip. Teething problems are normal on a new model, but with my feedback the serial production will have implemented all my notes. I can say, the “Freya” kayak is now a thoroughly tested and well designed expedition kayak! There is nothing better on the market for my needs (and surely for anyone else’s needs on challenging trips…) !

Thanks to the guys of the Armada de Colombia to have supported me in such a great way all the time in their country. I felt safe and well looked after, especially while camping! See how Venezuela will go in August…
I will be on my trip holiday until I am back in Colombia on August 14th!

Just another shipwreck in the Gulf...

Pos: here
Loc: Punta Médanos
Acc: tent
Dist: 51 km
Start: 5:00 End: 14:20

The second last day of this section of my trip! Maybe I should have paddled a bit longer last afternoon, as the rest in my tent was rather a sauna trip than good rest. Not a single breeze. Or should I have rather accepted the invitation of the police station? I had to go for a short walk to dry my silky beach dress from the sauna sweat before the sun went down. But did get it cooler? Only in the early morning, I felt I should use my silk “bed cloth” – aka dress.

I had to cover my eyes at night, as the regular flashes of the light house were a bit of a disturbance to my peaceful sleep. A big part for a successful expedition is the ability to gain good quality and quantity sleep in the most different conditions – noise of any kind like barking dogs, roosters, donkeys, music, talks, VHF radio noise , light such as moonlight, flash lights of unwanted visitors, light houses, car lights; wind breeze, air condition breeze or no breeze at all, temperature too hot or too cold or too humid, feeling safe or being upright on the slightest sound at night , inclined or declined sleeping pad, hardness of the “bed”, mosquitoes or sand flies or worst – crawling critters in room or tent, exciting or unexciting or no bed neighbours at all …and so on…there is no such hard life as on an expedition!

But the wind today was at it’s lowest, and even the “surf” got down to nothing the more I reached around the corner going eventually due south and tomorrow even south west. Boring? Well…my mind is already home now…

I saw a big 20 cm pink and violet “Man of War” jelly fish, but I heard they can get up to 50 cm or more? Fortunately, these tentacles were not too long and unlikely to wrap around my paddle, different to much smaller, but way more frequent Blue Bottles in Australia which had awfully long tentacles wrapping around paddles and hand quickly. But besides this guy, the water seems to be sterile here. No mammal, not many birds, sometimes a sign of a fish swarm or a flying one. Really, the Caribbean is not really my favourite sea so far! I am thinking back of the many thousand seals, sea birds, whales and dolphins I saw further south…

I eventually decided to stop after 50 km in one of the many inviting sandy bays with no reef. I was already thinking about continuing paddling until the border, maybe an hour after darkness, as I was dreading the afternoon heat on the beach, but fortunately a bit of a breeze was blowing and the sun was not out all the time, so it was not too bad on my last camp out.

The boys made a camp fire later, but as communication is tough, I preferred to stay in my tent and write this and reading my e-book. I feel it’s too hot still for a fire anyway…

28 more km to the border tomorrow! We will drive back to Puerto Bolivar right after, and I only have to mourn I could have been paddling on for at least another easy 1  1/2 days of low wind forecast. But the advantages of the coast guard guys helping me with the logistics of storing the kayak and driving me to the airport are too good to turn down! Who knows what the weather will be like later in August when I continue…?

Camp Puerto Estrella

Pos: here
Loc: Puerto Estrella
Acc: tent
Dist: 42,4 km
Start: 4:45 End: 13:00

What shall I write? The same procedure as last night and morning? I was getting up at 2.45am, this time packed with minimum camping gear for two nights. It was an easy ride back to my spot in darkness on calm seas, an easy paddle in low winds. Still headwinds though… I just had to watch a little the small breakers on the wide reef, where you could also see a bunch of shipwrecks. I can really imagine how helpless they must be in 30 knots east winds or more, getting pushed on the reefs and then being stuck there. Even a huge long metal ship was rusting high and dry, helpless now…I picked a perfect weather window, that’s all I can say for this area.

The scenery is desert-like, lots of sand with little green spots. Many beaches, but most of them fringed with rocky reefs now. Still many landings and small headland harbors, few fishing boats. There were thick dark clouds hanging again over the land at lunch time, but only a long grumbling noise came out, and just some few drops. No heavy shower, no lightning. The only flash I remember today was the bright shooting star in the last darkness minutes, and I made some secret wish.

I stopped after my due 40+ km at Puerto Estrella, I could have easily paddled longer. But the time plan now says today 40 km, tomorrow 40+ km, and the last day 40- km or what is left to the border. We will have still a low seas ride back to Puerto Bolivar on the last day, good. I hate jumping motor boats (and my kayak also does… )

The boys are tied up to an old rocky deep water jetty, and I camp across on a small beach in the after noon heat. Sweat is running down in streams, but only one more night of camping out… I had to refuse the invitation to sleep at the police station this time. Thanks anyway! But it is a long journey now getting there and back early Sunday morning and I have can my tent space right here on my “private” and safe beach…

A 20 cm big burning 'Man-O-War' jelly fish

Pos: here
Loc: Punta Gallinas
Acc: house in mining company Cerrejón
Dist: 41,4 km
Start: 3:45 End: 11:30

I reached the northernmost point of South America today!

I started paddling again for one hour in darkness. With the moon now less than a quarter, it took a while to get used to see sufficiently after I left the lights of Puerto Bolivar harbour. But as the sea was calm and winds low, paddling even at night was an easy game. The scenery to be seen was not really exiting anyway, all low beaches, and then the wide bay of Bahia Honda which I certainly crossed over.

The wind breezed up around 8.30 am, but apart from a stronger push for 10 min, it stayed well below 15 knots. So still making good progress, but it was not necessary to paddle further than Punta Gallinas, the northern most point of South America. A wreck was jutting out at the point, showing that there can be different conditions than today! Actually, already before I fly home, it will breeze up again to 20-25 knots due east… my weather gap is kind of great luck and not really common for tackling this extremely windy peninsula!

The guys wanted to drive back a last time to Puerto Bolivar, this hour I think is well invested in a good rest in a real room…tomorrow up at 2.50 am again…

The locals may add to the ship wreck in the front a car wreck very soon...

Pos: here
Loc: just outside Puerto Bolivar
Acc: house in mining company Cerrejón
Dist: 30 km
Start: 4:50 End: 11:00

All went smooth this morning – getting up 2.45 am, leaving with the boat at 3 45 am, starting paddling at 4.50 am. Low winds, smooth seas, turning to moderate head winds and a light chop. The cape was breezy, but calm. Nothing exciting, but a bit of an effort after six days off! The worst was getting back to my trip food again – I can’t stand my breakfast nor my available snacks any more…but I have to eat. The yummy food with a lot of change and choice in the mining canteen spoiled me the last days! Fortunately we stopped just across “home” and I could have another big lunch at the canteen. For dinner, I was still too full and rather went to bed already…

After 30 km at 11 am, I decided to stop, with wind now around 15 knots and some white caps coming up. 160 km are left to the boarder, and the forecast of the next days is easier than even today. So about 40 km each day or a little more, this will be doable!

And soon I’ll be in my real HOME again for a while!!!

Neither shade nor food is lush here for this cow...

Pos: here
Loc: before Cabo de la Vela
Acc: house in mining company Cerrejón

A quiet day with lots of online work and reading. Nothing special. At night, there was a comedy show for the people here, which I couldn’t really enjoy as I didn’t understand a word. Nice anyway!

But I will paddle tomorrow!!! Eventually…Getting up at 2.45 am, to be back on my spot at 5 am. Huaahhhh….

A HUGE tyre from one of the coal trucks used in the mines in the mountains - each truck needs six of them, and here are stored probably 2000 new ones - each tyre costs about 49.000 US $...

Pos: here
Loc: before Cabo de la Vela
Acc: house in mining company Cerrejón

Today I got the full mining sightseeing program from Eliécer. First I got dressed with helmet, safety boots and – glasses and a reflective vest. After an introductory video (fortunately in English), we did a drive around the loading and harbour area, and he was explaining the coal loading process to me. It was actually very impressive and interesting! I also got introduced in the various offices to the different functions, and surely had to sign many cards.

Eliécer Àvila Carrillo, public relations manager of the mining company Cerrejon and my host and guide the last days. Thanks!

He also drove me outside of the fenced area to the school of the indigenous people, which was a large area with many traditional clay built and cactus-roofed small classroom houses, plus some larger buildings. The school is supported by the mining company Cerrejon, in cooperation with the government. A big incentive for the kids to visit the school regularly is that they are getting two meals per day – breakfast and lunch. All houses are open, shady and airy, but with no air condition or ventilator. The homes of those kids don’t have that either. But they do get introduced into computer work and have internet. Modern times meet traditional living! But Eliécer told me that some of the Indian villages refused to get electricity in the last years – modern times are not always welcome.

One class room in the Indian school with the smaller kids

One of the small class room houses of the Indian school - built traditional with walls of clay and a roof of dried cactus stripes

A real growing cactus fence in the Indian village

We also picked my kayak from the police station and dropped it at the coast guard station where we can load it manually on the boat on Thursday. I heard the rumour that last Saturday night when I couldn’t start paddling, the guys didn’t had to “rescue a fisherman”, but were rather involved in a very successful big drug interception – congratulations! They have to do of course have their job to do…

The coal train unloading station on the conveyor belt downstairs - each waggon holds 120 tons of coal, about 120 waggons go per train, and nine trains per day are coming to the harbor...

The coal comes from the conveyor belt unloaded from the train waggons and is stored in the harbor area briefly before it is getting loaded to the ships

After lunch, I was invited to jump on one of two tug boats which have to pull a freshly loaded huge ship off the pier and out of the bay. Guido, the captain, was showing me the boat, and explained the process to me. I was surprised that the two relatively small tug boats are actually able to pull such a huge heavily loaded ship off the pier! The rope used for that was almost as thick as my leg! Once off the pier, the ship was at some point able to start it’s own engines, and the pilot was climbing over board back on the tug boat, while driving parallel together. Quite an acrobatic act!

Guido, the tug boat captain to the left, maneuvering his boat to the ship to be towed

The tow of the huge ship - dimensions are not easy to judge...

One of the huge ships waiting to be loaded with coal

A swim in the large local pool was finalising my eventful and educative day. Thanks to Eliécer and his crew to give me a great insight of the life here in Puerto Bolivar!

One more day to rest tomorrow on Wednesday, then I can *paddle* again! Six days off is the longest period I had off on this trip – and it is wayyyyyyyyyy too long…but what were my options??? At least I got nice people looking after me here!

One of the thousands of large 15 cm grashoppers being a plague in the bushes in Puerto Bolivar

Pos: here
Loc: before Cabo de la Vela
Acc: house in mining company Cerrejón

I wrote my update too early yesterday, expecting nothing interesting would be happening…

But at 5 pm, David, the coast guard boss, came to talk over the weather options for next day with me, accompanied by Eliécer Ávila, public relations manager of the mining company next door, Cerrejon. He spoke good English and invited me for dinner at the company’s restaurant for tonight. Thanks!

I told David the wind had got worse for the next night, and that I had to stay put for all of SIX days now…

Eliécer came with co-worker Isabell to take my for dinner in one of the two company canteens. There are about 250 people living here in the mining area of Puerto Bolivar, and apart from a few indigenous fishing families living outside the fenced area and the police station where I stayed, that’s all of this remote village. All private!

But with Eliécer companie’s help, they made it possible for me to get hosted in the mining area! Thanks a lot! After dinner in the well-sorted and organized canteen with good food, they showed me “my” new house where I could stay the next days. It was almost larger than the whole police station, built for a four-person family. My double bed was as big as my whole room before . Definitively a great upgrade in accommodation! Thanks a lot to Eliécer and Isabell to organize that for me!

My own private house in the mining company

They also took me a bit around the fenced mining area that night, and explained how things are working here. This is actually only the loading station of the world’s biggest open coal mine, where a train line brings nine times a day the coal from the mine in the mountains to the loading harbor, where huge ships from Europe and all over the world take in the coal they bought. Allover, it seems to be a well paying international business, judging by the high level infrastructure and the quality of internationally educated workforce I met here. A good place to hang out for the next days!

Eliécer had to go to the mine in the mountains today, and besides breakfast and lunch with Isabell in the canteen I stayed in my house working online all day.At night, he took me for dinner, and we were sightseeing a bit more around the area. He also showed me the sport facilities – a pool, soccer and other ball game fields, two gyms, raquet ball and in one large room they had a South American dance class where a bunch of people were watching the about 25 students and the teacher. It didn’t go without many laughs and teasing comments from the spectators! Unthinkable in a “serious” class in Europe…

While walking through the garden area claimed with lots of effort and water from the desert, Eliécer showed me the many large 15 cm grashoppers sitting in the flower bushes and eating the leaves – a plague! Thank goodness we don’t have those in Germany (any more…)