[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aRjqKxWUnAU/Un2mMuMShVI/AAAAAAAAYTA/IqC0EuiMRDw/s144-c-o/PA240093.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5944089820687140178″ caption=”Local indigenous open houses on stilts on the Orinoco river” type=”image” alt=”PA240093.JPG” ]

A beautiful day full of new impressions

Pos: here
Loc: Isla El Barril
Acc: tent
Dist: 31,8 km
Start: 5:00 End: 13:00

Yesterday, when night fell, it got quite eerie at my camp site. A bunch of small flash lights were chasing each other, blinking bright here and there and here again. They were so bright you were really thinking this can only be man made artificial electricity, but those big flying beetles were making the bright flashes, no ghosts of the ancestors being buried on this island…

I could easily leave the beach at two hours before high tide, if there is sand, there is maximum a fifty meter portage before the water line. Only if there is mud, it is ugly. But I haven’t had those wide shallow areas for while, were you had to paddle 3-5 km out to avoid getting stuck. The many beaches here are all sandy and reasonable steep. I was gliding along the inside of my island, listening in awe to the tropical birds morning concert. Really beautiful! I had my breakfast, and soon ran into the first native village with maybe 10 houses built on poles. Amazing way to live…a guy was spotting me and called “Amigo, donde tu va?”, I answered with “Amiga!”, and “Vamos a Guyana!” Must be enough…I am still not interested to visit those native villages, even if I’d be called in. I simply feel out of place there…sorry.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VGTDjnyHM_4/Un2mHPTG4FI/AAAAAAAAYTA/V4NvVEvKPWo/s144-c-o/PA240094.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5944089726494892114″ caption=”Stilt village with dug out canoe” type=”image” alt=”PA240094.JPG” ]

Another village came up, about five houses, also built on poles, but on the adjacent sand spit I spotted a black pig, and even a herd of cows! I wonder how they got there, and I even wonder what they are living on. Must be enough what they fish, find in the forrest and what the cows and pigs and maybe chicken give.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1a8GLts_b1U/Un2n2fCUNsI/AAAAAAAAYTA/tRa2BNLSX6Y/s144-c-o/PA240098.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage16VenezuelaTrinidadGuyanaCaracasToGeorgetown#5944091637684909762″ caption=”Two dug out canoes on a beach” type=”image” alt=”PA240098.JPG” ]

Two guys with slim wooden dug out canoes were searching for something in the forest, I only saw their shadows and the canoes parked at the beach. They use a single paddle, but also some kind of a sail I spotted from the distance. I saw only few motorboats, also all day among the other villages. Relaxing, it feels like those villages still somehow keep pace with nature here.There were houses on almost every sand spit corner. On one lagoon spit I even spotted a horse! What do the need this one for here? Some more cows made more sense to me around the next corner. All in all this area was possible to live in, had obviously enough solid ground and plenty of fresh water right on the doorstep!

Two more wooden dug out canoes with three guys were fishing with a round net style, where they released the long net in a circle and then made noise to chase the fishes into the closing circle. They were young and shy and almost didn’t dare to look at me, looked very indigenous.

The whole Orinoco delta area is surprisingly pleasant, had enough beaches not to worry and freshwater en masse I will soon need to filter. I was originally planning to paddle one island further, but after that many lovely impressions, an additional 15 km crossing in heat and low wind was not really tempting. So I rather decided to split those planned two days to the pilot station at the Boca Grande into three, and to take it easy with about 30+ km each day, rather than with two 45+ km. The current is still constantly against me, despite low wind today I am not faster than 4,5 km/h. Plus there is the additional tide current in or out, but much less than I thought. No tidal races or a flushing river stream in the delta…

With low wind comes the heat, and I felt the ugly needles and pin heat rash approaching. Thank goodness I could land on a wide beach, just had to drag my kayak 50 m up on low tide. And good again to use the rain fly of my hammock as an additional sun shade, or such “relaxing” afternoon hours at a hot beach would even be more of a sauna!