[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WQoqEPcfrRM/VTIuoP1tjHI/AAAAAAAAoOI/aoYgebEwPJM/s144-c-o/IMG_1921.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6139020511040867442″ caption=”Some turtels are sunning themselves on the lake banks” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1921.JPG” ]

trip days left: 30
straight distance left: 562,9 km
Pos: here
Loc: Lagoa Mirim
Acc: tent
Dist: 45,7 km
Start: 6:00 End: 16:00

I left the guys behind with mixed emotions this morning – as much as I enjoy the change of having company, as much I rather paddle alone or with my well-known partner Peter. Two days paddling together without real communication possibilities are feeling a bit strange, and while the guys were happy chatting which I do not understand at all feels rather like some annoying constant background noise for me. Basically no problem for a short while, but now I’m rather back to my paddling solitude.

I was on the water at 6am as usual, the guys rather slept in for their long but probably faster trip back home with the pushing current and no slowing down from a weak woman’s heavy loaded solo paddler. They were so polite to get up anyway and send me off. Thanks! It were two interesting days!

It looked like it would be another foggy morning, but it cleared up very quickly to a sunny day with a good light north east wind . Still I felt the counter current for most of the time, or I was in such shallow water I did not really get my full traveling speed.on the eastern side I spotted two more of those funny water animals, this time on shore and walking around – what was their name again? One spotted me and ran away with two times angry barking fully like a dog.
The western side of the lake, after I was crossing over to a sandy spit, was littered with birds,ducks,sea gulls, vultures – and many dozen turtles sunning themselves and rushing into the water when I was approaching.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rpXjKjREmgQ/VTIukBC5ZmI/AAAAAAAAoOI/IH94Ujt5BnE/s144-c-o/IMG_1917.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6139020438350161506″ caption=”Hundreds of ducks also on Lagoa Mirim” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1917.JPG” ]

Many cowherds on the grassy sand sandy beach, fortunately when it came to stopping time for the night there were not any to be seen. The beach is quite wide and I had to walk maybe 500 m to find dry sand for camping. I dried my tent in the sun, and brushed out probably 100 mosquito carcasses before I moved in again. I was packing and launching with a bug net this morning…

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hOkNZxGj8zo/VTIuws7szAI/AAAAAAAAoOI/N_NqA6BgolI/s144-c-o/IMG_1923.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6139020656289565698″ caption=”The wide flat sandy shore on the northern side of Lagoa Mirim” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1923.JPG” ]