[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sCT6EIjuB0o/UiCZQP4MFCI/AAAAAAAAWpg/ORUYuVBYHNE/s144-c-o/P8240003.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5917898414783992866″ caption=”Campsite at the end of the lake before the Gulf entrance” type=”image” alt=”P8240003.JPG” ]

Across the windy and shallow bay to a secret exit
Pos: here
Loc: Isla Oribona
Acc: tent
Dist: 28,1 km
Start: 6:40 End: 13:30

I was fiddling with some cell phone problems late night yesterday, and got annoyed again about my  computer, which shut itself down a few times. I hate non-working technical things! I may need another sim card in Punto Fijo from another company, this one had good reception, but not reliable internet. The same happened here on this spot where I am camping tonight – full phone reception, but no data. And I may need to eventually replace my laptop, the old lady already travelled around Autralia with me and all along the South American coast!

One thing I forgot to mention I noticed in the city – the better off Venezuelans not only live in nice houses behind high walls, but they are also guarded regularly with four lines of electrical fences on top of the walls – in Germany only the cows in the meadows live behind an electrical fence…thank goodness. Let’s hope I can avoid bad people here!

I got escorted by a bunch of local kayakers this morning for about an hour, straight into a 15 knots headwind creating some choppy sea. Thanks very much, guys! The coast guard boats turned off also after the first headland, and I was by myself again, fighting tiredness and the wind. I had to find the side exit of the bay east of the main channel, which I knew was very shallow at places. My GPS chart was not precise here, but I found some pole markers and the deep water channel by instinct. I landed at a steep beach on low tide just before the exit to the sea, where I would not have to drag my kayak that much. It was even more windy outside, eventually 20 knots right from the front, and I decided to call it a day on this convenient landing place. Despite the tide difference is only 50 cm, the offshore beach was looking wide and gave a long way to the dry dunes.

It was overcast, but still hot as I first put up my tent not catching the wind fully, and I had to turn it. But being in a constant draft to cool down is not healthy either…how am I looking forward to be paddling and camping in a reasonable climate again!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cuIT0dQWSww/UiCZr4qcO2I/AAAAAAAAWpg/2Aec8fMYHng/s144-c-o/P8240005.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5917898889588652898″ caption=”When mangroves grow at your campsite, the bugs are frequent…” type=”image” alt=”P8240005.JPG” ]

This place has no road access, but is surely not free of people, about seven fishing boats sped in, one of them stopped to check on me, but all friendly. Leave me alone tonight, please! I saw a few shady shelters for occasional fishermen’s camps on easy accessible sandy beaches, the rest was overgrown with mangroves and muddy, with herons and flamingos. No crocs though 🙂 The wind is supposed to be a bit lower the next days, at least in the hours from about 9 am to two pm or such, then 15-20 knots again. We’ll see how far I’ll be getting each day…

Thanks again to José Gabriel and his wife Veronica for hosting me the last night in Maracaibo, and to look after me the whole three days and beyond! It was a great introduction into Venezuelan life and which may come ahead! And thanks to their sweet 2 1/2 years old clever daughter making a show for us last night! Once she came across as a ghost, then with José motor bike helmet,  next she was dancing… we really had fun with this cute, well behaved little creature!