[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0xDhNSiU72A/U06c3dmLlLI/AAAAAAAAbQE/su-CksN-rmU/s144-c-o/P4050386.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage19Brazil2AmazonasDeltaToSaoLuis#6002907829982958770″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”P4050386.JPG” ]

A hot afternoon on the beach…good for my body, bad for progress
Pos: here
Loc: Ilha Boa Vista do S. João
Acc: tent
Dist: 30,7 km
Start: 6:20 End: 13:05

I had to pack just above the mud, and then “just” slide down the steep long bank in a seal launch like I saw yesterday another small boat gliding downhill. But I “preferred” to walk besides my kayak in knee deep mud sliding easy downhill, until it just stuck on a small mud mountain. Two friendly helpers also jumped into the mud to help me lift the heavy boat up and down again. Thanks! All of us had to wash the yucky stuff of the legs before moving on.

I had breakfast after half an hour on the calm water, but as it was some counter current I tied up to a fishing pole. This pole was smooth and fresh, different to all the others I had already tied up to, and shit happened, my end of the bowline with the heavy carabine slung around the smooth pole was gliding so deep down under water I was unable to reach it with the paddle or my hands. I neither could just pull it up on the pole. I had to jump in the water and dive with my freshly washed hair and head fully under to be able to reach the end of the line. Yuck! The river water was not the most clear one… Later I thought why didn’t I try to reach the end of the bowline just with my feet, clinging to the pole in the water like a dancer… 🙂

This boring yucky channel also came to an end, and I had to paddle up again against current and wind to a clear passage between 8lha Irmanos and the headland also named “island”, but neither of my maps showed any channel further south. No local could tell me if there was one…but for once this was a wide and clear passage with once more a boat just coming out when I wanted to enter. The exit seemed to have some options, I took the clearest one and could already spot some hut and beach on the next island across the
Baia de Iririracu. No sign of a sand bank yet, just windy choppy water.

The next headland again showed no channel anywhere, but a large sandbank on the top reached even over to the next headland. This would be too late to go around there without the chance of running dry. Tomorrow’s high tide would be around 11 am, if I’d want to start early from the bay before the headland just another 9 km across, I may not have enough water yet. So again opted to stop early and to stay on the beach I already spotted in Ilha Boa Vista do S. João. It’s hut was occupied by five fishermen, all friendly and impressed by my trip. They were helpful to get my gear up the steep but short beach at a river mouth.

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But I had to put up my tent in the today’s hot sun on the white sand, just my hammock tarp gave some welcome additional shade. The guys were off on low tide fishing on the banks, and back they brought a huge basket of fish they stored in large styro boxes stored on the beach with real ICE keeping up to five days…amazing. I wonder how they eventually transport those large boxes with their two small boats?

The sweat was pouring down all afternoon, it is no pleasure to stay an afternoon on the beach with no real shade for the tent and low wind and not much water upfront…my skin sores are not really healing,, and my heat rash is pins and needles painful and itchy. I need an a/c room!! Or just being home…