[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cG3VL1iYWwc/UW2JxqYruwI/AAAAAAAAUqw/NKbLsVceCbs/s144-c-o/P4110005.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage14Colombia2BoarderPanamaToBoarderVenezuela#5867497375818038018″ caption=”Camp at the village of Puerto Colombia” type=”image” alt=”P4110005.JPG” ]

Pos: here
Loc: Puerto Colombia
Acc: tent
Dist: 31,4 km
Start: 5:25 End: 12:00

I was awake at 3.45 am, thinking again if I may be happy to launch in the darkness…no way! It is simply pitch dark on the water. I think the lack of star light comes from the early morning haze, if it is not smog. Especially in the calm morning hours, all villages are burning their trash, and the smell lays over the whole water, and probably also into the sky. The industrial city of Barranquilla is also near, I wouldn’t be surprised about it just being smog. When the moon time may be better in two weeks or later, I may paddle at night – or I simply have to live with what I am getting done in the morning hours before the wind breezes up.

I had another visit of a private guard of the beach at about 5 pm, this time with two friendly policemen. I couldn’t really understand what they wanted, but it sounded like some coastguard guy tried to call me. Maybe, I have not enough battery power for long chats with language barrier on my cell phone, sorry! But as my coast guard boat was anchoring out there, they should know where I am? Maybe they just wanted to know when I plan to leave again tomorrow? Probably with first light…

The guys actually drove away after that visit, maybe this is what they wanted? If I had an e-mail, I could communicate better…
The boat was back at 5.30 am, just when I had launched. I got two fat waves in my face in this unpredictable surf! But no big deal, just wet and warm. I just even have  to secure here everything on my deck, as I almost lost my brand new drink bottle washed from my deck net.

It was again very low wind the first hour, which lowered even to really *no*wind until 8.40 am.Similar to yesterday, but I had even hope it may last longer this morning as the sun had a hard time to come through. But at 8.40 am, it slowly breezed up, to around 10 am at around 15-18 knots. I still decided not to stop after 17 km in this inviting sheltered hook, but kept on pushing until Puerto Colombia, where I hoped to find a sheltered landing.

All good, just the entrance side line of the Banco Culebra was kind of a mine field of piling up breakers which I was first hoping to get around, but amazingly it somehow didn’t end! I must have eventually cut across, having been able to avoid getting trashed, but it was somehow not that pleasant! My coast guard boat must have has the same issue, just that they had an engine to react speeding up or slowing down in this zig zag!

The water got calmer, but the surf didn’t look too inviting to land ahaed of the village on a remote beach. It may have been ok, but I was hoping for some real good shelter, wherever I may be ending up camping!

I saw something like a harbor wall upfront the village, but it turned out to be just the remainders of a long, long old jetty. This thing must have been giving the promising name “Puerto Colombia”? I didn’t see any real port anywhere, just rocky breakwaters sticking out dividing the village beach in sections. I chose the one with a few fishing boats, always a good choice and neighborhood in a city. The low surf brought me safely into the shallows, and a bunch of teenagers were playing in the water besides the fishing boats. All calm and friendly looking! Also the single man helping me drag my kayak up the beach – he was wearing a tiny yellow g-string with a vertical zipper in the front – ready for action! Fortunately I was not one of his targets! 🙂

My afternoon camp on the beach was again hot and sandblasted inside the tent, but I had my peace to rest. Two friendly policemen were checking again, obviously knowing already about me and happily receiving my card. They will keep an eye on me tonight! Actually I feel very safe here in this part of Colombia!

My other neighbors are a gang of free running dogs seeking shade under the fishing boats. The boat next to me is inside stuffed with thorn bushes, looks like the owner doesn’t like teeny parties in it, as it happened in the other boats! Clever…