[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2IhT3BcEnJY/Un2oaQbq1TI/AAAAAAAAYTA/cedujBMdSgQ/s144-c-o/PA250105.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5944092252240008498″ caption=”An old framework of a house on Isla Bongo” type=”image” alt=”PA250105.JPG” ]

Fat thunderstorm on lonely hot island

Pos: here
Loc: Isla Bongo
Acc: tent
Dist: 29,7 km
Start: 5:15 End: 12:50

Almost a whole afternoon on a hot beach with not much to see and bugs not inviting me for walks can be long, again thank goodness to my ebook. But at some point you neither can lie nor sit in the hot tent, how am I yearning for those easy temperatures in the more southern regions. Although it is a little less hot than it was in the centre of Venezuela.

The paddling day was not really exciting, two big 15 km crossings added up to 30 km – only. The next day will be a 40 km crossing to the pilot station at the Boca Grande, the main stream of the Rio Orinoco. I have been told by the Henry brothers they were treated with even an air conditioned room there! Well, sure I am hoping for the same… before heading for the 350 km distant civilization spot in Georgetown, Guyana.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dhfK07TZPVg/Un2obof3GCI/AAAAAAAAYTA/FKdT_XN_fng/s144-c-o/PA250107.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5944092275879909410″ caption=”My last river camp on a lovely beach on Isla Bongo” type=”image” alt=”PA250107.JPG” ]

I am camping on the magnificent sand spit of Isla Bongo, the last outer island inside the Orinoco delta. It would be even more magnificent with 5-10 degrees less  air and water temperature, so I made camp as usual, did a short walk as usual before my desire for halfway reasonable shade inside my tent got too great. The sky was growling and flashing lightning already for a while noisily at the horizon, announcing a fat thunderstorm. Glad I am not out on the water any more, already I had survived servera of those out there just fine… I thought inside the tent it would be much better… if I hadn’t left the extra hammock sun/ rain fly outside, which was fluttering eventually heavily in the strong upcoming wind. I also noticed too late that the fine sand was flying through the fly mesh, despite me shutting the outer doors, and my blanket was covered with it. I even stopped cooking in order to watch my tent and the storm. Once everything was zipped up against flying sand and rain, it was again hot as hell inside. Oh, what a life!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6xNhCKcXlhI/Un2nXPdm9fI/AAAAAAAAYTA/Z1iHzjXEWoE/s144-c-o/PA240101.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5944091100928472562″ caption=”Some nutty fruits you find on the river beaches. The spiky ones come in singles, doubles or triples.” type=”image” alt=”PA240101.JPG” ]

Once the rain got less after about 15 min or such, I was hoping I could go outside now to enjoy a bit fresh air – I luckily noticed before opening my inner tent the fly screen was full of tiny no-seeums looking for asylum from the strong rain under my outer tent. So no going out… not even opening the outer tent. At some point I had to to take the rain/ sun fly in, and it took a long while to wipe the beasts off the inner fly screen once I dived in again. They DO bite, leaving those flat red spots on the skin. No wonder even locals can’t stay for long on this beautiful island, as I see on both sandy spits remains of human shelters, which had already been taken over by the jungle again.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KVdp3qUM5_Q/Un2nZNgVCXI/AAAAAAAAYTA/aCNI3vjBGPo/s144-c-o/PA250102.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5944091134762748274″ caption=”Beach flowers we also have in Germany…” type=”image” alt=”PA250102.JPG” ]