[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BA9iI1TSb5A/VGSjEwTn-CI/AAAAAAAAins/c1UDk_atCkQ/s144-c-o/IMG_0518.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToRecife#6081164698939029538″ caption=”Joao Pessoa´s skyline – quickly away!” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0518.JPG” ]

Highlights: Long but easy paddle
Lowlights: Too many curious locals sneaking around my camp
Launch: Low surf with cockpit half full of water
Landing: Low surf
Pos: here
Loc: beach behind Lucena
Acc: tent
Dist: 54,9 km
Start: 5:00 End: 15:35

No bother at night – good. Just too noisy youngsters passed by in the darkness with their surfboards under their arms… on the way to a night surf or rather home?

I am not in training any more – through this low surf I really had to catch a cockpit half full of water… could be worse. The day started bumpy and windy, soon it calmed down with the tide change and the coast being sheltered by an offshore reef again.On calmish water with the wind behind, paddling is easy and relaxing, thank goodness. Not too fast a speed though, as currents are still there.
I neared the huge city of Joao Pessoa, leaving it in it’s wide bay far away. The skyline with over 100 skyscrapers was enough city view to stay away. The bay itself was shallow with many reefs and turtles, very few fishing boats around. The holiday village after the inner city was more pleasant looking, and I enjoyed watching for miles Brazilian beach life inside a fully sheltered calm warm water lagoon.

My goal was a dead calm sandy spit inside a reef after crossing another bay, which would have also been ok, but I decided to keep on paddling past the next village, as I had a bit time left due to good speed and to short cut the next day’s planned distance. So I paddled on past the village of Lucena, and before the surf came up again too high (I thought…), I landed a bit behind the last houses. I waited, a car, a fishing boat, two horse riders,10 pedestrians disappeared, and thought I had the beach now to myself, but nada… quite some traffic:people still, by foot, car, horse cart, horse, solo and in family groups. I am really hoping this will be ok for the night here! Not feeling great…maybe I should have paddled a bit more, even if the surf became higher again?