[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OobRSQogJUc/VRhGJajgC3I/AAAAAAAAnTw/iDlrx2Es4vU/s144-c-o/IMG_1747.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131728020225919858″ caption=”Leo and Tiane escorting me out of the river from Palmares do Sul” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1747.JPG” ]

trip days left: 43
straight distance left: 853,47 km
Highlights: Got paddling company out of the river
Lowlights:
Pos: here
Loc: Lagoa dos Patos
Acc: tent
Dist: 42,1 km
Start: 6:05 End: 17:05

I was packing my kayak as usual in a quiet early morning dawn, when I suddenly spotted two people in the twilight silently doing the same on the nearby parking lot. Their shadows reminded me to two well known friends, and really, Leo and his girl friend Tiane made it once again from their home to see me and to join me for a while! They left their dog at home today, but brought two kayaks to paddle the five kilometers on the river out to the lagoon with me. They also brought me a large bag of my missed Maracujas which I could not find in the supermarkets we visited, plus a good try of a Brazilian made German style bread. Thanks a lot! What a surprise!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XRFInXwXQf0/VRhGRmAkd1I/AAAAAAAAnTw/C_K603vbd3Q/s144-c-o/IMG_1749.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131728160739587922″ caption=”Leo was allowed to try my kayak on the calm lagoon. He survived… :-)” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1749.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nLUAMGXCCbM/VRmQGOB-USI/AAAAAAAAnnA/BUCcXV5fVSY/s144-c-o/DSCN5129.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6132090804161630498″ caption=”Out into Lagoa dos Patos” type=”image” alt=”DSCN5129.JPG” ]

We set out together in the calm morning on the three time wider river than the last ones I have paddled. After leaving the not too friendly looking city harbor area behind, the river was full of nature, but we were all too soon out at the lagoon entry. It was good to also have Tiane on the water, who very much likes paddling on rivers in good peaceful nature. It’s not all about paddling in rough exciting sea conditions…

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eDAFtXHfVp4/VRhHLMHoNXI/AAAAAAAAnTw/Q9nPxKqZ6cs/s144-c-o/IMG_1758.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131729150222284146″ caption=”Lovely violet bush flowers” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1758.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-K3Zyp3y6j9I/VRhGrw_UYjI/AAAAAAAAnTw/Xnf52X6icdg/s144-c-o/IMG_1756.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131728610363728434″ caption=”No idea what kind of pea pod like seeds those are…” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1756.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-pGs8Low4_JM/VRhGpaIQmbI/AAAAAAAAnTw/vbYbNLKyDms/s144-c-o/IMG_1754.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131728569867475378″ caption=”Fluffy blossoms” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1754.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Z3RCXIQabcA/VRhGmZS_SzI/AAAAAAAAnTw/8ZuhNhQ47uM/s144-c-o/IMG_1751.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131728518104435506″ caption=”Some worm pattern in the sand” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1751.JPG” ]

I spotted a headland and was aiming for a while to what I saw in the thought this must be the tip of Isla Grande, but it was not. I had to paddle much more to the right, nothing to see yet on the 11 km crossing in this flat lagoon land.But good to have a working GPS! I hope I do not need to replace my now good working current one with my half working one or with the one was so friendly to borrow me. Many fishing boats passed by, and were all gathering somehow in the sheltered short channel on the small island on top of the first headland to work on their catch and to have a rest. You could really make out all the often used”parking lots” under low hanging branches of shady trees where they use to anchor. I made the mistake to stop on a small beach which was obviously used as a trash dump with disgusting stinking fish rests and a leftover pile of a try to burn drink cans. I have never been jumping so fast back into my kayak…

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Fzg9h3DdXUU/VRhHIq5ijTI/AAAAAAAAnTw/r8R4JJdIc-Y/s144-c-o/IMG_1760.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131729106945084722″ caption=”I like those kind of sandy beaches with entry between reed fields!” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1760.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ekY9ZagPXmE/VRhHEr3sJ5I/AAAAAAAAnTw/b-cdAp37AoI/s144-c-o/IMG_1759.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131729038486284178″ caption=”My first beautiful idea of the lagoon beaches” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1759.JPG” ]

Once out of the small channel and turning left to follow the coast, I could now enjoy the remote beauty of the sandy lagoon beaches after crossing the two headlands and paddling the already nice nature channel which just had too many fishing boats. I could watch now all kinds of birds, a luckily spotted emu or nandu (at least one of those running only ones), many fat vultures, herons, white duck pairs almost looking like swans, cormorants and many sea gull-like birds. I was chasing a swarm of seagulls ahead of me, they were not able to think clever and to fly inland or behind me.Instead, I disturbed their rest again and again, sorry! Eventually their moving forward was interrupted by a large cow herd and they went off somewhere else. Hundreds of cows, mostly black “barbecue” ones with a few brown”chocolate” ones in between, were partly enjoying standing in the dead calm water on the many narrow sand bank lines, probably to get rid of the flies. When I approached, they rush scared away.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-n-6fJM65cMM/VRhHOm_Tp8I/AAAAAAAAnTw/2dtA2n-9bUE/s144-c-o/IMG_1772.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131729208974747586″ caption=”A capivara (capybara, Wasserschwein), I have never seen one!” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1772.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-COPUW_qLJfY/VRhHN4-M_OI/AAAAAAAAnTw/O0L5uLDcCfA/s144-c-o/IMG_1771.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131729196622085346″ caption=”Capybara” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1771.JPG” ]

Suddenly I saw something in the water looking like either a huge log or was it a small calf helpless sitting on a sandbank? The log started to move once I came closer, I think it was a large beaver? An okapi? Not sure, what else? Just check the unfortunately not great pictures. The large cow herd went on and on, and just when it was time to call it a day a fence marked the finish of the obvious farm area. Some buildings in the distance, a tall antenna, an electricity line, smoke, a dog, all signs of human civilization. No people to be seen.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mnlNJS1TW5s/VRhHSHo3qFI/AAAAAAAAnTw/7zCfXqrmxAc/s144-c-o/IMG_1776.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131729269278615634″ caption=”A capybara, ducks and many sea-gull like birds” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1776.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CYHmFsXw78Q/VRhHRb-3gPI/AAAAAAAAnTw/AVbEXNOseGg/s144-c-o/IMG_1774.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131729257559720178″ caption=”Two of the famous swan-like “ducks” of the Lagoa dos Patos” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1774.JPG” ]

I made camp on a higher sand bank about 500 m behind the fence and the cows, upfront an about 100 m wide sand bank area with water gaps. It looked like it was low tide…tomorrows strong sw wind fore cast made me think this area may be flooded by the strong 25+ knots on shore wind? Today it was low sw head wind below 10 knots, just in the late afternoon it came from east. The dune belt behind me is very low.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HTCeBaioO2U/VRhHgNkKrII/AAAAAAAAnTw/ALB0UWuWl7g/s144-c-o/IMG_1778.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131729511387671682″ caption=”First camp on the Lagoa dos Patos, on low “tide”” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1778.JPG” ]