[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qfV2fGMHHiU/Uytt6uT9WPI/AAAAAAAAafA/DCuqnizQtgg/s144-c-o/P3150285.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage18Brazil1CayenneToAmazonasDelta#5993004584778160370″ caption=”Camp on a small dune – will it stay dry?” type=”image” alt=”P3150285.JPG” ]

Worried about tide height at night
Pos: here
Loc: small dune at river
Acc: tent
Dist: 49,9 km
Start: 6:50 End: 16:50

I was lucky this morning – after rain all night and a really heavy rainsquall in the morning I was able to pack dry. I could easily launch from the steep river bank to my side without much dragging and walking. The river was flooded higer than on yesterday’s landing time, paddling against the tide out and around the corner no problem.

I could aim to paddle again inside some islands into a living channel with many houses, just to get around the corner was a bit of an effort against the choppy tide. It was another beautiful place to live for hundreds of people, many boats driving up and down, some city center with school and church, and plenty of houses on one of the flat areas bare of trees. But again I was passing this inviting area around lunch tim, so staying there conveniently in a house was really too early.

I paddled on, hoping for the rivermouth I saw on my chart to be able to paddle in and to land as conveniently as yesterday. The river mouth was barely able to be spotted in heavy rain and low tide, just the choppy curent area of the stream out told me this must be now time to tun in. I found just shallow water, but the current of the river was there and quite strong. Paddling in was possible only for some hundred meters, then I had to get out and to walk and drag my kayak toward a light yellow spot of dunes which I was hoping to reach for the night.

The spot came nearer, but not near enough to be as convenient as I was hoping. I wanted to exit on the now steep sandy river band where the river started o disappear inside the forest, but on my first try I was almost swallowed by the treacherous floating sand on this bank! Thank goodness I held carefully to my kaya on making the first steps on this unsolid ground, or I may have had trouble to get out of the lose sand feeling like soft mud. Horrible! I just had to paddle about twenty meters fruther on to fins solid sandy groun to exit. Well, amazing what kind of traps nature provides!

My feet were as sore as the other nights, and the outlook af walking a kilometer to the yellow dry high dune area I saw from my exit point was not making me really happy…fortunately I found a single small tiny dune well before which I decided will stay dry tonight (I hoped…). Still, getting my gear and the kayak there was a painful walk.

I was just about finished to put up camp and wanted to change, when a single horse rider was crossing the shallow river on low tide. I was thinking this river can’t hide another house? And I didn’t spot any house for the last few hours since I left he channel between the islands? Well, the rider surly came up to me and was quite an old farmer, barefoot with three toes in his special made small stirrups. His feet were so dirtya and looking almost like leather that I really think this man has never had shoes in his life. He was fully armed with shotgun, pistol, a machete, several knives and  a lasso and din’t wave or smile on approaching me.

But with my female charm and my card I got to obviously impress him on our not unfriendly conversation, but I didn’t dare to ask him to be allowed to take picure. One Brazilian old gaucho out of the picture album! His house was a bit further up the coast, and the land I was camping on was his properity. Sure I was politely asking him for the permit to stay, and no problem. On leaving me, he eventually waved friendly,  but still not smiling. At least he confirmed my guess about this piece of sand staying dry at night’s high tide. Still I stayed on the watch until about 10 pm high tide was over, worried to get flooded. But the water stayed far away, thank goodness!