[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xuqEJU97ZOM/UlPb26X38lI/AAAAAAAAXXo/gC7rHjARu-I/s144-c-o/PA050017.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5932326870605886034″ caption=”Ptetty cactus vertical on the rocks” type=”image” alt=”PA050017.JPG” ]

Beautiful paddling day!

Pos: here
Loc: around Punta Manzanillo
Acc: tent
Dist: 44,3km
Start: 4:45 End:15:30

Launched again in darkness – without stepping into the cactus. It was quiet all night, no wind, just some strange music noise. I think it even came from the big island across! I could have paddled through the night, if necessary. But I am not so urgently in a rush, that I don’t like to see something of the scenery…

Still I cut across directly to the tip of the triangle peninsula, with touching Isla Caribe. I think all those beautiful island spots are inhabited as the petrol is almost free and as they need a boat for fishing anyway they can also drive for shopping and water, just for living peacefully and probably cheap. A bunch of men were busy with a huge circular net which they take in with a boat, slowly but surely. I always feel sorry for the engine, as that net is probably heavy and mostly the engine small. They barely took notice of me…

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MZU-kMTIEEI/UlPb0etW76I/AAAAAAAAXXo/q3brWxPmtE0/s144-c-o/PA050013.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5932326828820066210″ caption=”This ladder may have been once a great idea to get to the sea for a swim?” type=”image” alt=”PA050013.JPG” ]

The eastern side of the peninsula was just beach, and after that spot the whole coats became cliffs, eventually quite high and rugged ones. There were few beaches in between, and most of them looked somehow human used. But the cliffs were quite nice! I also noticed an increasing number of pelicans and other birds nesting in the cliffs, but though the name of one of the last islands promised to be “Isla Lobos” I had no hope to see seals, as usually on the Pacific side the seal islands were named like that. I actually wonder if I will see seals again before I am back in Buenos Aires?

The wind stayed quite low all day after the calm night, just a few morning hours were barely over ten knots, other wise below. Nice! Still some current was against me all day, but I paddled nicely. After the peninsula the sea was even bare of motorboats! What a relief…

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MAFwCX24jI0/UlPb2wEYk9I/AAAAAAAAXXo/1hbzL-KuK_s/s144-c-o/PA050015.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5932326867839783890″ caption=”Private beach campsite” type=”image” alt=”PA050015.JPG” ]

I had marked a small beach after a longer one just after the road turned inland. The longer one had a plantation and one guy, who intentionally turned his back to me when I approached,and did not return my wave. He glanced over his shoulder a couple of times though…yes, yes, I will not land here, you unfriendly plantation owner!

The small beach turned out to be without enough dry sand to camp, though idyllic and out of sight (and hopefully out of reach also) of that single man. If necessary, I could have stayed here, but I had a bad feeling. Too close to the plantation and road. I was just of again, a fishing boat turned around the corner. I had marked some other smaller beaches before the next long one, and the first beach turned out to be great. It had some unprotected surf though, but no problem for me. But I may not launch in darkness from here…

It was long ago that I took my shoes off in the deep soft sand than working my camp in sandals! I found a shady corner, and even made an effort to clean the beach from the plastic bottles throwing them into the bushes, just to pretend myself I am in paradise! Sure now three fishermen were driving by, but fortunately without notice…I want privacy!!! Yesterday I really had no boat passing by…

I will need two more days to Rio Caribe, I have marked a few remote beaches to be out of the city area. Thank goodness for Google Earth offline…We’ll see how far I will be getting with tomorrow’s headwind strength!