[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lIFvCec7HOA/VPLxVNI_-JI/AAAAAAAAmig/dVeEii01EtM/s144-c-o/IMG_1496.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage23Brazil6RioDeJaneiroToFlorianapolis02#6121220190156880018″ caption=”The leftovers from a vulture’s dinner” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1496.JPG” ]

Highlights: Feeling ok again
Lowlights: Headwind, capsized on landing
Launch: low surf
Landing: moderate surf
Pos: here
Loc: beach between 2 headlands
Acc: tent
Dist: 30,1 km
Start: 6:55 End: 14:15

A little stiff and wobbly, but I was ok again to keep on paddling today. No more throwing up, no diarrhea. Strange sickness. Rounding the rocky headland area went slow, some ugly counter current was against me. Then some headwind came up, which was also against me, eventually with up to 15 knots.I should have gone in before the first headland, where the landing looked quite easy, but some house and people made me thinking the second headland would be also doable within reasonable time this afternoon.
Rounding the headland was slow again, and reaching my spot even slower.Maybe I am just still weak.But when I had to peg down my tent on putting it up, I rather liked to blame the headwind. I chose not to paddle fully into the maybe sheltered corner, as the surf looked rather stronger at the end of the beach, as far as I could see. Here, the beach seemed to be steeper, but the surf belt is narrow. In the edge, the beach is probably flat and has a wide, maybe low surf belt into a small river. I preferred to land earlier and to deal with the dumper, rather than a kilometer headwind more and maybe have a wide ugly surf belt into a too shallow river to paddle into…

I got capsized with not being able to brace enough, and didn’t even try to roll as I was close to the beach. I bailed out, walked in but had now to deal with the heavy kayak full of water. But the beach was not too bad, I could turn the boat around to empty and drag it up with little effort.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EfGbz-guMzo/VPLxONMK22I/AAAAAAAAmig/ixsxGpwZ_OA/s144-c-o/IMG_1497.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage23Brazil6RioDeJaneiroToFlorianapolis02#6121220069911092066″ caption=”My scary beach landing spot” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1497.JPG” ]

Later, I surely was curious about my “missed out” river landing corner one kilometer further in front of a steep high green and black cliff wall. I walked up to the point, disturbed a leguan in his sleep as there was even a drive way in the bush! I chose the right spot to land, despite capsizing, as the surf belt here was wide but low, and the river very shallow with some rocks and wooden sticks maybe in the way. But inside the river, I would have been tempted to paddle on… it looked beautiful!

Later in the afternoon, the tide got higher, and the landing and launching tomorrow will even be easier with less breakers on my steepish beach spot. Hope the best!