[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_QHRKcCwnnE/VHcEyjsqH6I/AAAAAAAAi9o/ih1PvH7ty_8/s144-c-o/IMG_0606.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6086338688037035938″ caption=”One single beautiful Yacht was anchoring in Fortaleza” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0606.JPG” ]

Highlights: Paddled under the Pecum harbor bridge
Lowlights: Missing my laptop…
Launch: Sheltered beach Yacht Club
Landing: Wide low to moderate surf belt
Pos: here
Loc: Taiba
Acc: tent
Dist: 56,2
Start: 5:45 End: 15:50

Polyana and her father were so nice to get upt with me at 4 am to drive me to the Yacht Club. Thanks again for hosting me! The aircondition was marvellous…even the mosquitoes fell frozen off the wall and my skin. I was so tired all morning could barely keep my eyes open until the wind breezed up. On a city stay I never get enough sleep.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qf0VNUFAXss/VHcEvoARJ4I/AAAAAAAAi9o/Guq2QshhJ1U/s144-c-o/IMG_0605.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6086338637653419906″ caption=”Traditional fishing boats mixing with the many high rise buildings in Fortaleza” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0605.JPG” ]

As soon I left the dense high rise building skyline of Fortaleza behind me, a large rusty wreck was blocking the way. I passed many kitesurfer beaches, all busy on Saturday afternoon in moderate strong wind. But no collosions, thank goodness.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0xCXUcsJFL8/VHcE2LEVjTI/AAAAAAAAi9o/z8LThxgI4E4/s144-c-o/IMG_0608.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6086338750144941362″ caption=”A fat old rusty wreck at the end of Fortaleza city” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0608.JPG” ]

Then it was to make the decision: Going around the 2,5 km long jutting out Pecem harbor, ar risking to paddle under the bridge…I opted for the risk, as far offshore many large ships were waiting to be loaded or unloaded, and three others were at the piers. Some busy truck traffic on the road on the bridge, but basically the bridge poles looked high and wide enough to paddle through. If there wouldn’t be the swelly high seas with occasional breakers…but I had it worse and more windy, this should be manageable with a bit of care and luck. As long as they don’t have a floating barrier underneath, signs, buoys or watchdog boats like I had on other similar long loading bridges. But nothing to be seen.

Turning out on the last second would have been a pain in the ass against the wind and minimum an hour extra to round. Landing would be possible, but quite some surf on the north west trending coast. I saw a few kitesurfer running close to the bach right up to the bridge, I wonder if one of them ever has dared to go underneath? They can hold their kite pretty low…but I doubt this would be worth the risk. They simply land their lightweight toy through the waves and walk around.

I was just close and aiming for one of the squares, close to the pillars on the left side to have a bit of space for a swell wave, when I suddenly saw in the up and down of the waves some white floats…nets or a floating barrier? I could barely stop with the wind and waves behind me!

Those were two guys snorkeling in the swelly water around the pillars, pushing two styrofoam floats! In the last moment I better opted to paddle
through the next square to my left, or I’d have been running them over.

Sure just when I entered a swell wave lightly broke and pushed me for a scary moment to the left, but with a few strong strokes I kept enough distance to the next pillar and was through. Quite some strange industrial noise came from the bridge, probably some pumps for some pipeline.

I could relax now with a slight turn of the coast to the west the waves went down and I didn’t give that ugly bridge a second look.

I made good speed now, and was aiming to paddle past the next village where I had marked some low surf in a sheltered corner. But there was no camping space on the beach in the corner with ssome low cliffs in the back, and I had to paddle in a bit further up the beach where the dune belt starts.

I spotted kite surfers – and worse, barely visible against the sun – some regular surfers floating around in front of the beach! This could only mean some good rolling waves on a shallow beach. The tide was half down, the wind not too bad, so the waves should be manageable…I picked a spot with few guys and some dry sand behind and was just hoping not to surf in so uncontrolled that I’d be hitting one of the floating guys!

One heavy higher breaker lifted me, but I stayed up and it crashed just in front of me. Fortunately most of the surfers took that wave, I waited one more smaller wave and paddled in. It still surfed and broached me sideways, my brace was bad as I was worried about the floating guys, but I stayed upright and the rest was ok.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FuVijivYmW0/VHcE7pDm5mI/AAAAAAAAi9o/7Ss_ZuBPTVs/s144-c-o/IMG_0609.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6086338844094293602″ caption=”A simple normal beach view in Taiba” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0609.JPG” ]

I made camp on a flat dry overgrown spot in front of a house where I was asking the people if this was ok. The garden wall was low and with no fence on top, some different view to the city single house properities with continuous high solid walls with an electrical fence on top…they confirmed the place should be safe, and I felt allright. I had two watch cows around me grazing on the green, and could have a shower inside the house. For getting there, I had to crawl under a sleeping senior in a hammock…thanks!