[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nzIph_T1f20/UjUKsng4TDI/AAAAAAAAW8g/YNbHdGUGRco/s144-c-o/P9020034.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923652646513167410″ caption=”One of the many shipwrecks on my way, this one is close to Puerto Escondido” type=”image” alt=”P9020034.JPG” ]

Rounded the tip of the notorious windy peninsula!

Pos: here
Loc: Puerto Escondido
Acc: tent
Dist: 33,1 km
Start: 5:55 End: 13:50

At some point yesterday afternoon my reliable Thermarest mattress went flat, I was inflating it again, but within minutes the same… must be a big hole! I tried to find it with “sniffing”, but eventually had to dunk it into the sea to find a 5 cm long line of small punctures. I was obviously lying on a pointy thorn, and with every movement on my mattress I punctured it again! Fortunately I have enough glue dots to give it an easy repair. Next time camping under a thorny tree I have to trample the area more flat. Just walking outside I had two of those thorns in my sole of my flip flop!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Jhmj_e8gG3A/UjUKtHNXoCI/AAAAAAAAW8g/LwLiun0c5j8/s144-c-o/P9010022.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923652655021269026″ caption=”Sunrise over the Gulf of Venezuela” type=”image” alt=”P9010022.JPG” ]

The morning started with one of those “lovely” thunderstorms keeping the wind down. Much lightning, but few thunder claps and no rain. I made good progress on calm seas, until some rain came with a bit more wind. Then I was fighting the usual draining 10-15 knots. Not that I don’t make progress, but relaxing is something else. At least the sea was still sheltered on this side, how will it be rounding the point? After the last bay with quite some houses I was forced out by many breakers, and the sea lifted noticeably. But all good and relatively easy, just the wind breezed up even a bit more. Still I rounded the point in bumpy backwash from the cliffs with no problem, just slow. I had worse exposed headlands!

I was wondering all the time what kind of land I was seeing on the horizon, until I got it – that was Aruba already! It also created that light halo at night I was puzzled about for quite a while!

When I saw Puerto Escondido coming up, a natural harbor, I thought I better go in, as now the sea wasn’t smooth any more plus 15 knots and more wind right from the front – finish for today! I understood in Maracaibo and Punta Cardón that there is also a small coast guard station in that harbor, and I was convinced it must be at that huge antenna as usual. But when I was climbing out to have a look, the antenna was fenced by a wall and no station house to be seen. i was asking a friendly local woman, and she said, sorry, no coast guard here! Ok…I must have understood something wrong, maybe they only meant that antenna?

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Y5–L_NBReg/UjUK1VE8dBI/AAAAAAAAW8g/nV1rB2HI10k/s144-c-o/P9020035.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923652796182983698″ caption=”Frienldy locals hosting me at Puerto Escondido” type=”image” alt=”P9020035.JPG” ]

The shower I had been looking forward to, I got at that friendly local woman’s house, out of a bucket with a small scoop bucket. Perfect! I also was invited to camp in their back yard. Thanks! The spot they showed me to put up my tent was perfect: level and shady, but there was a tiny ant street crossing and the husband guessed it would be better to kill them with a bit of petrol…hmmmm, what is better? Ants in my tent (I think I could keep them out now, I guess…) or petrol smell near my tent? Fortunately there was space next to the drunken ants  and I was off-wind, so no problem. Chicken and goats were running around, and the large extended family was chatting on the patio beside my tent. Very local feeling today!