[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6YvSkvp0XdQ/VPLzfz9qRuI/AAAAAAAAmig/FIy4zvwFALI/s144-c-o/IMG_1507.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage23Brazil6RioDeJaneiroToFlorianapolis02#6121222571400251106″ caption=”My tiny dry campspot closeto Iguape bridge” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1507.JPG” ]

Highlights: Relaxed paddling inside the Mar Pequeno
Lowlights: Entry into the river
Launch: Ugly surf
Landing: River bank
Pos: here
Loc: close to Iguape
Acc: tent
Dist: 42,6 km
Start: 6:50 End: 16:35

Yesterday I thought the launch would be easy going…but high tide was through,and somehow the swell created again a nasty combination of dumper on a steep beach plus two or three surf breakers following close up. Quite unusual…this morning the small river mouth that kilometer up the coast may have been the better choice. May…

I already saw the swell waves coming in in the first light of dawn, without identifying any lulls and following up on each other quite fast. My calm sleep with ear plugs against the surf noise was great, no single person on this beach area was to be expected. I could even cuddle inside my fleece bag at the end of the night with some breeze as it is nice to sleep a bit cooler with doors wide open. But it didn’t prevent my heart from beating fast once I was packing and ready to go. The effort of dragging all gear to the river was too much, I could as well give it a try here. Perfect timing, there *are* lulls, if few.

I waited probably 50 sets of breakers, carefully on the wash up edge to prevent my kayak being rolled around in the surge and filled again with sand water, but being close enough to give it a quick start. My hear was pumping fast, my mouth was dry. There*must*be a full lull once! When it eventually came after long patient waiting, I really managed to push out, jump on and to paddle quickly away with open spray deck and no pulled out rudder yet, with getting very little water from lower waves inside the cockpit. Thank goodness! Waiting is gold…patience…

The rest of the paddle until the river mouth was relatively fast, with very low wind. I had made the mistake to have marked on my GPS only one way point for the entry, not a line up of two or even three. So I had to follow my instinct and experience where the best line would be. But before I came really close, a rubber dinghy with two Bombeiros from the last Balneario came up to me. I took the chance to ask how the entry was? BIG waves, very dangerous! Well…you like to escort me in? I really understood a “yes”, but when I had donned my helmet and PFD and was ready to tackle the entrance, the guys rather turned around and let me alone after I had given them my card and had explained them my trip. They saw my GPS and probably got the idea I may know how to handle the entrance…?I think…the sat image showed a rather wide open easy entrance without breakers, the latter mostly correct, but the tidal race waves were really high and ugly. And they were breaking anyway here and there…plus I had to deal with the current against me.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lSE9oPAgYgY/VPLxdePDugI/AAAAAAAAmig/4GYZPCzn0us/s144-c-o/IMG_1498.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage23Brazil6RioDeJaneiroToFlorianapolis02#6121220332184648194″ caption=”Fishermen pulling nets from the shore at the entrance at Mar Pequrenho” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1498.JPG” ]

I paddled the angle I thought was correct up to my way point, you can see nothing, just guess where the river entrance may be. Huge waves, few breakers, but to the right and to the left of the relatively wide channel it was heavily breaking. I worked my way slowly in, could avoid all breaker, no boat was coming in or out to help seeing the path.But I was slowly closing that kilometer in the rough entrance area, and eventually saw some fishing boats working in the calmer water.I was doing right…scary, slowly, but all good. I gracefully eventually greeted all of the many small fishing boats, I am sure not many of them would even go in their small motorized boats out there… They were having their nets spread out criss cross across the entrance, obviously best fishing ground here. But also a floating area of river plants blocking the nets.

I eventually stopped on a sand bank inside the calm area, relieved to be safely inside. Some fishermen close by were dragging a net in from shore, and I couldn’t help but talking to one of them coming close to get some praise for my effort…:-) they couldn’t believe it! Neither coming into this entrance, nor the rest…well,guys! There are some special woman onthis world 🙂

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qkCm_wrms70/VPLyX215uTI/AAAAAAAAmig/Lo1hBnv-H8I/s144-c-o/IMG_1504.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage23Brazil6RioDeJaneiroToFlorianapolis02#6121221335222434098″ caption=”Water lilies were growing here en masse” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1504.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-uzfUtsgklQc/VPLyYcw2lQI/AAAAAAAAmig/FPKO0TLloAc/s144-c-o/IMG_1501.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage23Brazil6RioDeJaneiroToFlorianapolis02#6121221345401804034″ caption=”Beach flower” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1501.JPG” ]

I was really happily shouting out when I was eventually paddling inside the calm water, yahoo! More than 150 km of calm water now, no swell and surf for now… just pure nature- and some people also living there. I enjoyed the remote areas, watching the many birds and flowers, but when it cameto looking for a campsite in the city area of Iguape, I was not keen on any crowded spot with people. I passed the bridge, and a bit off the traffic noise I spotted a high and dry spot under a single palm tree, just big enough for my tent and boat. It may be a spot of anglers, but the bush path looked not much used.

Just the dragging up of the kayak proved to be hard, it was about a meter high.I first tried fully loaded, but had to unload eventually. But then – a perfect remote spot, still close to the city! There was not even much traffic on the water at all, not a single boat has passed my spot yet!It was worth the landing effort! The river banks are not dry, and if they are, they have a house or a city. This spot was good luck!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6czyyGGmOBs/VPLyadXfKmI/AAAAAAAAmig/Zy8vu0rJGFg/s144-c-o/IMG_1506.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage23Brazil6RioDeJaneiroToFlorianapolis02#6121221379923585634″ caption=”The church and bridge of Iguape” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1506.JPG” ]