Sat 31/08-2013 Day 491

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uZZ6az6l6bY/UjUDH1P_SdI/AAAAAAAAW8g/6XAkLuGMMyM/s144-c-o/P8310001.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923644317963864530″ caption=”This threatening bow fortunately has the anchor chain down…” type=”image” alt=”P8310001.JPG” ]

Good progress on low wind

Pos: here
Loc: before Ensenada de las Piedras
Acc: tent
Dist: 45,8 km
Start: 6:00 End: 16:20

Carrying my equipment down the steep staircase turned out to be quite an effort, walking twice with two helping guys. But it could be worse! Teresa said farewell, thanks again for hosting me in your beautiful Hotel Cardón! Btw., the big neighbour hotel looked empty and mine was quite busy… 🙂

Good decision to go already today, my skin is good enough and it is another low wind day after also yesterday, but then I really had to rest. I paddled straight across the bays of Punta Cardón and Punto Fijo, with a mostly industrial appearance and about twelve tankers waiting offshore to be loaded. I passed one right under the bow…impressive. Sure he was dead calm anchoring…

The coast guard boat visited me only briefly in the morning and got their pictures, checked once at lunchtime and was again there when I was just looking for a campsite and was helping me to carry my kit up the beach and to set up camp. Why are such guys not at hand when there is a tidal difference of ten or twelve meters? Here it it maybe 10 centimeters, and the “carry up” was maybe two meters… 🙂 Many thanks, really nice to look after me! Glad they decided to stay away on the water, this is really not necessary to escort me all day here.

After I left the industrial bay behind me, I enjoyed for maybe an hour paddling along a noisy Saturday morning beach life, and felt already quite relaxed and very “Caribbean”. The only danger were those speedboats towing some inflatable toys around with screaming teenagers on top. Well, must be fun! I should have asked for a lift!

But soon the beach became deserted, only occasionally I saw beach huts, rarely occupied with fishermen or week enders. Still when it was time to go in, one of the two “highways” along the coast went right along the beach for miles, so no other choice than to camp just besides the “road”. Two cars passed already by, glad the “road” is not on the beach but just besides. My coast guard guys promised to pay me a nightly watch visit, but honestly I rather have my peace at night and like to sleep! There is nothing worse than some torch at night flashing at your tent:”Are you ok?” Coastguard, policemen, mayors, soldiers…I had them all checking “politely” at night. So when I am not answering, I am not dead, but only (trying to) sleeping and like my peace! Thanks, guys…

It is HOT today, amazingly in the city bays the water was quite cool and even refreshing, and after the last sand spit it became again as HOT as in a bathtub and like down in the big gulf. No wonder the populated beaches were close to the city, this is where you really can cool down nicely on a swim without freezing. Hope on the eastern side of the peninsula the water becomes cooler again.

3 comments on “Sat 31/08-2013 Day 491

Glenn Wilkes

Both our Caribbean and Atlantic coasts are like ponds, and hopefully it will last for the next few weeks. I agree that your penchant for black isn’t the ideal garb for paddling in the tropics, maybe you could compromise with a broad-rimmed straw hat! Also you’d probably be reluctant to try this but the aloe-vera plant is worth experimenting with for most of the skin rashes. Good news is that you’ll find the choices when shopping in Trinidad considerably better than across the Gulf in Venezuela, and you’ll be able to stock up before facing the deserted areas on the Orinoco delta. Hope to see you soon.

Meike

schön zu lesen, dass es Dir gut geht und es Deiner Haut besser geht. Wünsche Dir weiterhin das Beste.
liebe Grüsse

Randall Lackey

Glad to hear you are safe and happy. Good to read your skin has healed enough for paddling.I’ll begin another 250 mile trip down the Chattahoochee river here in the USA on the 14th of Sept. so will be away for a week to not bother you with my ramblings on the love of your trip. Hope your days will cool off some,ours have, a little bit, at least the nights have mostly. Safe Paddling.

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