[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-x8PqqSvFA2U/UlPaElzMugI/AAAAAAAAXXo/_1HoRzfXygM/s144-c-o/PA030006.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5932324906578262530″ caption=”Campsite before Punta Guachi” type=”image” alt=”PA030006.JPG” ]
Crossed over to the peninsula
Pos: here
Loc: before Punta Guachi
Acc: tent
Dist: 42,6 km
Start: 4:45 End: 14:00
Yesterday I chose the smaller one of the two possible beaches, which I really had to myself. On the larger one, I saw traces of people, and who knows if some of the boat drivers wouldn’t be thinking of paying a visit to the strange neighbour?
I practice again packing and launching in darkness, which works well when it is not pitch dark. Just the stars were out, the moon is on the last day. I had lovely bright bio luminescence the first half hour until dawn. A colourful sunrise made me feel fully immersed in nature.
I cut over to the tip of the peninsula Araya, a crossing of 30 km in easy no wind conditions. The best was the water feeling refreshing with that stinging sun. When I came close to the beach again, it was over with the refreshing water and I had my body warm soup again. The beach was littered with trash, even in the actually quite lovely looking fishing village of Punta Araya with maybe 100 boats lying on the beach, people had first to break through a wall of trash before they can reach the water – or the land. Why are the people not able to get rid of the crap? If there was somewhere near a hotel area, it really caught my eye how they can keep their beaches clean – exactly to the limits of their property. Not a meter further….
[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZcaaHLKNyRo/UlPbEwWCOQI/AAAAAAAAXXo/A_NQ-ETwnc8/s144-c-o/PA030007.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5932326008920357122″ caption=”Sea shells, something I haven’t seen for long” type=”image” alt=”PA030007.JPG” ]
I paddled across another bay, but as the winds started to freshen at noon, I decided to not tackle the next bay crossing but to find a remote beach to camp. The land is flat here, so my distance to the last village was big. I saw a few cows, but no people. The small sandy beach between the rocks came from a tiny dry river, and was amazingly littered not only with trash as usual, but with many many sea shells. Nice! The afternoon felt not as long as yesterday, as there was a nice breeze going and the sun stayed mostly away.Thank goodness, it feels different to be in the tent with dry and not sweaty wet skin!
5 comments on “Thu 03/10-2013 Day 524”
Great news. Now that you’re on the Guiria peninsula, I can look across and almost see what you describe. By the time you read this you’ll probably be close to Carupano. The local kayakers look forward to welcoming you with already three offers for air-conditioned accommodation, which I can well understand would be preferable to my own “room with fan”. Ha ha! The Canadians, who are coming in the opposite direction are likely to make landfall at the opposite (south-east) end of the island by Friday. Take care while ashore and safe paddling while at sea.
Karen,
I was paddling on Lake Michigan as recently as today, and on Lake Superior in August. These lakes aren’t low, and neither are the other Great Lakes. I would refer you to Army Corps of Engineers data which are up to the minute, and show all the lakes to be quite near their historical means (1918-2012):
http://w3.lre.usace.army.mil/hh/GreatLakesWaterLevels/GLWL-CurrentMonth-Feet.pdf
I agree that we must preserve our waters. My love of the Great Lakes is second to no one’s. Perhaps we can all talk politics when Freya is no longer in South America. OK?
Freya what better way to bring attention to the lack of awareness of a peoples shore line then to speak about what you see.
Today i did a poetry reading i TO and at the end of it I spoke about the low water levels of the Great Lakes. i asked that we all treasure the fresh water lakes that we have inherited as our heritage. Every time we drink a glass of water appreciate where it has come from. Also think of those who are less fortunate than us who have to struggle for clean water.
We, all nations need to clean and protect our waters and shoreline.
Thank you
Hi Freya I still look forward to your daily posts. I know what you mean about litter. I don’t know why people don’t respect what we have. As a kayaker I try to police the areas where I paddle and pick up what I can and dispose of it in a proper location.
I will never figure out how people can be so careless with littering up such beautiful ocean waters and shorelines.Glad ti read you had a nice day.Safe paddling.
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