[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KyXajwLJtBQ/VLV1WnlW1CI/AAAAAAAAkpk/uTjZcVlPwVM/s144-c-o/IMG_0937.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage22Brazil5SalvadorToRioDeJaneiro#6103913901413815330″ caption=”Some interesting tourist vehicle” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0937.JPG” ]

Highlights: Basically, it’s a most beautiful reef area
Lowlights: A mostly shitty rainy windy gray day
Launch: small dumper
Landing: Reef sheltered beach
Pos: here
Loc: Ilha de Boipeba
Acc: tent
Dist: 46,7 km
Start: 4:45 End: 14:45

Some of the cows or horses on the meadow behind my tent came close by at night, I couldn’t make out what exactly, but I thought I had better chase it away before the poor animal stumbled over my tent guy lines, and be falling into my tent by chance on the poor owner. Guy lines are great to make dogs keep their distance, as they usually don’t see the lines, but a dog stumbling and falling into my tent is easier to take than a cow or horse, I guess…

I first had to cross this big boring wide bay over 17 km, before I could reach the beautiful high rocky headland of Morro de Sao Paulo. The sea has been relatively rough on the crossing, and in the river area combined with the headland it once more piled up high. No approach for beginners this way…but suddenly you are in the reef shelter, starting with a small sandy island I was hoping to camp on. But not in this schedule.

I absolutely enjoyed the entry into the reef area, but was also aware it was just half tide and the water was still falling. Where I barely could paddle now, I already had to drag my kayak over the shallows on a few walking sections, and had to go out behind the reef into open water quite soon. It is quite easy to break your foot or leg once walking over a flat shallow rocky reef, as it is usually full of holes. But fortunately it barely crackles under your feet, once solid, it’s stable. Or it is young and soft and you should not walk on it anyway. My poor kayak got a few scratches under the hull by paddling in the reef shallows, but nothing serious.

I felt the need to paddle out of the reef which is here quite different than in the northern area with not a distinguished wall where it is breaking heavily, but rather a fringed edge with many exits and scattered fat rocks. You have to watch! But the break is not heavy anywhere, still they are rocks. Once out, the rain started…it was raining so heavily, I felt like paddling in between the reef shelter again and was waiting for a better view. Already when I was paddling on the reef the view was bad due to the dark gray day, as only sunshine reveals the different water colors where you can best make out the water depth.
But out here on the fringed reef edge with barely any sight was quite dangerous.

Plus the reef out side was a motorboat high way…you can even see their white flashes on the satellite pictures. I am always feeling threatened by fast going motorboats with some testosterone spraying guy on the wheel rising his bow that high he has no proper forward vision. I had a close shave already in Venezuela where such a rocket drove over my stern and away…not again.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KCcJCTG1nIQ/VLV1iggG0-I/AAAAAAAAkpk/evIS0bLHz10/s144-c-o/IMG_0939.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage22Brazil5SalvadorToRioDeJaneiro#6103914105671177186″ caption=”Hidden camp at Ilha de Boipeba” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0939.JPG” ]

I could mostly just about later paddle inside the reef break leaving the racing rockets outside, hehehe, despite lowest tide. At some point, there were no boats any more, and I was crossing the last wider bay for today with 10 km. Eventually the sky got lighter, and I could find a nice seclude spot between bushes on some lovely reef sheltered beach. 10 hours per day or 50+ km is what I think I should paddle, and today was slow going with relatively strong side wind. The next three days it won’t be much better, even SE slightly head wind…:-(

Some long haired Rasta men-style guy stopped by my tent to ask about where I cam from and where I was going to…well, my usual answer, especially now getting closer to my goal is “I am coming from Buenos Aires – this way (and I am pointing in northern direction)” “and I am going back to Buenos Aires – this way (and am pointing in southern direction)”.The usual answer is:”Aha, ok, have a good trip!”and they turn away, probably thinking I am not quite right in my head, or simply not getting the dimensions. But I think this guy was rather up for selling me a joint and realized it was useless here to try…

Yesterday’s camp was a cow shit beach, this night I have a mixture of horse apple smell and sweet blooming scent. Not too bad!