[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Dbzp-eHjp8s/UytvLoXgAsI/AAAAAAAAafA/uaG5njE4q54/s144-c-o/P3170293.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage18Brazil1CayenneToAmazonasDelta#5993005974751806146″ caption=”Paddling through the rainbow out of the Amazon!” type=”image” alt=”P3170293.JPG” ]

Arrived quickly in civilization!
Pos: here
Loc: Punta Pesqueiro
Acc: Gelderson’s Hotel Casarao de Amazonia in Soure
Dist: 44,2 km
Start: 6:50 End: 11:35

A good long rest in a quiet safe place, this is what body and soul need. I had typed my last three day’s updates on my small cell phone machine last afternoon, as my computer is still broken. At least I don’t have to type them all later in the city!

The water was closer again than on yesterday’s landing, and it is always easier to drag the kayak downhill . I was already done when one of the men showed up to help to carry the last bag. Thanks anyway! It was quite windy this morning, Karel’s forecast was between 15 and 20 knots. As it was in the right direction, I was looking forward to a quick but probably rough ride in the rising ingoing tide.So it was, averaging 7,3 km/h! Until Punta de Galos, I was riding in the low surf zone, getting every few seconds a wash from the side. Going out was not worth the effort as it was breaking endlessly wide. The water became deeper, but the breakers became the usual minefield and high. But I had it worse, much worse…I caught a few heavy and quite ugly ones, but nothing serious. I just enjoyed the quick ride!

I texted Peter to email Gelderson, my contact and host around Belem, my arrival 2 hrs before my ETA, barely able to handle the sat phone. And the tide was going out already! But as the wind came now against the current, the water stayed choppy. Around some points, the surf was really coming close and being hard to avoid. Especially crossing Rio Turé had bumpy ugly breakers and I caught a few, my meeting point already in sight! Not that I get trashed on the last kilometres to civilization…

I took a berth inside the river to get to the sandy yellow but very criss cross choppy beach of the small village on the outer end of Punta Pesqueiro. It was actually a holiday area, with umbrellas and huts and restaurants. The first one in Brazil of many to come! Gelderson and his wife Priscilla showed up just ten minutes later after my arrival. Perfect timing! Thanks a lot for hosting me! Unfortunately he didn’t bring his roof rack as I need my kayak close to my room to work on it, and we left it for the afternoon at a beach restaurant. He will pick it up later today!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-whmxS7lrh2s/U1Jdkn9s8II/AAAAAAAAbm8/iVtmWWCvrag/s144-c-o/Freya.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage18Brazil1CayenneToAmazonasDelta#6003964137022746754″ caption=”Gelderson, my host in the Belém area, picked me from the beach. Thanks!” type=”image” alt=”Freya.jpg” ]

They brought me to their really lovely and nice Hotel Casarao de Amazonia, and I got a perfect air conditioned comfortable room to rest. thanks a lot, Gelderson and Priscilla! A yummy Buffalo steak for lunch sated my craving for something else than pasta and rice, and the washing machine was eating happily my stinky laundry. My feet hurt again while drying out, both of them now, it will be better in the ac room soon, I hope. Even my computer worked for a while again, until now… with one break. It is simply also an old lady having already rounded Australia with me and needing rest from the unusual climate here… Germans love it cooler and not so humid! 🙂

I needed to get another company’s sim card to operate my phone, and the local hotel wifi was just out of use. I am not sure if it can handle to upload my pictures if it works again. See where I can do it maybe tomorrow in an internet cafe. Lots of chores to organize the next days!