[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-92jyga1CfDI/UjUHIYs7OQI/AAAAAAAAW8g/kBYa2pkmVWE/s144-c-o/P9010010.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923648725526984962″ caption=”My horny kayak” type=”image” alt=”P9010010.JPG” ]

Short day in shelter around the corner, it blows too much

Pos: here
Loc: behind the lighthouse at Punta Macolla
Acc: tent
Dist: 10,8 km
Start: 6:00 End: 08:45

Apart from the two cars I saw yesterday, my “highway” next to my tent stayed fortunately deserted all late afternoon and night and I had a quiet, but windy sleep. How I hate this constant air flow around my head, forehead and neck – hot in the tent, freezing in an air conditioned room. I am covering my neck and head with a scarf, even my sleeping mask on the eyes. Constant draft, hot or cold, makes me sick. Good nobody is seeing me…suddenly a strange noise out of the darkness – what was that? After a few seconds sitting upright in my tent I realized this must be a donkey having fun with his wife, or chasing another male one away. I am not so firm in the donkey language, but it sounded very strange.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-05JxinXbpZw/UjUFJfgfF9I/AAAAAAAAW8g/ii5CXC_Kfjo/s144-c-o/P9010005.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923646545510471634″ caption=”The lighthouse of Punta Macolla” type=”image” alt=”P9010005.JPG” ]

I knew the forecast for today to be very windy, and I thought I may not get very far… see how it goes, I can land anywhere here! The shelter of the land was good enough until the light house at the further most westerly corner of the peninsula, seas were calm and I just had to stay very close to land not to be blown offshore from the soon up to 20 knots north easterly. I dared to sneak carefully around the corners, but after the three inhabited bays the shelter wasn’t good enough any more, and I decided it wasn’t worth the effort crawling along with 20 knots on my face in a pace of 2-3 km/h. Tomorrow’s forecast is much better, and another two days even lower. So why not find the next uninhabited bay and a nice campsite?

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-odQ4G1IoDLM/UjUHwgeLDZI/AAAAAAAAW8g/grinAZymIrQ/s144-c-o/P9010007.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923649414807358866″ caption=”Campsite behind Punta Macolla under the bush” type=”image” alt=”P9010007.JPG” ]

Around the corner, the beach started to become rocky, but had still enough sandy corners. I was aiming right into the second bay after the houses, where a tiny deserted fisherman’s camp under a tree promised good shelter. I even could put up my tent under a tree in half shade! Thank goodness, a long day at the beach without extra shade would be tough. I ignored the pile of fisherman’s trash, evened out a floor space for my tent, chased the many geckos away and relaxed for the day in relatively reasonable temperatures. Still it is hot…

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-H-uw4PICAgU/UjUHrM9Pb1I/AAAAAAAAW8g/o4oZTjG78Oc/s144-c-o/P9010006.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923649323669614418″ caption=”Campsite behind Punta Macolla” type=”image” alt=”P9010006.JPG” ]

Many donkey droppings are lying around, so I expect to get some maybe noisy visitors again complaining who took their shady tree area. I spotted a boat of the coastguard behind me before I turned around the corner, but they stayed distant and didn’t dare to land where I landed in my small sheltered sandy corner between some rocky reefs. They eventually saw I already started to make camp and turned off. Bye, bye! 🙂
[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sryoti2TvLA/UjUIvmgTmjI/AAAAAAAAW8g/FhZiPuQxGU4/s144-c-o/P9010018.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923650498758679090″ caption=”Wild donkey in the bush” type=”image” alt=”P9010018.JPG” ]