[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VpMYM-8xY6Q/UjUeL3ZTgUI/AAAAAAAAW8g/nUL9hyGxu-4/s144-c-o/P9120033.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923674074073235778″ caption=”Beach shop bill board on the main city road in Chichirevice – it would be not allowed as being too distracting in Europe :-)” type=”image” alt=”P9120033.JPG” ]

Arriving at the holiday village

Pos: here
Loc: Chichirivice
Acc: Nelson + Annya’s holiday house
Dist: 40,7 km
Start: 6:00 End: 15:45

Today the wind at least was all day under ten knots, but still against me. I was making good progress and was thinking I could make it around the headland of Chichirivice almost to Morrocoy where I arranged a stay in a hostel offered by Jose Gabriel’s godfather from Maracaibo. But sorry, I realised eventually I can’t make 55 km before darkness in these conditions. Instead, I got a text message from Edgar Lopéz two hours before I reached Chichirevice who offered me a stay with a kayakiing couple from Cartagena making holidays in a holiday house. That was just a perfect match to stop at a reasonable time at that city! I gladly texted back and received a call from Nelson and Anja welcoming me to stay. I am getting used to the short term way of arrangements, but I have sometimes some issues receiving e-mails on my cell or to read texts or mails. Typing is even worse. I simply can’t see the screen in the sunlight with the small letters, have to hold the cell phone under deck to read or type, then I am losing reception again, having to hold the pone high up again… and so on. It all works only in relatively calm conditions. Communication on the water is not easy! A call is no easier either, as I can’t always understand with wind and waves in my ears, and I may get pushed to the surf or backward. So please communicate as early as possible with me, guys!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fBITSCoZjTk/UjUc6BjozYI/AAAAAAAAW8g/hHPm-XzocRI/s144-c-o/P9110027.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923672668051656066″ caption=”The amazing sharp boarder of the river out flow of Rio Tocuyo” type=”image” alt=”P9110027.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zCmqGlsCBkY/UjUcBn8u-ZI/AAAAAAAAW8g/8pej8eIdVd8/s144-c-o/P9110026.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923671699104922002″ caption=”The amazing sharp boarder of the river out flow of Rio Tocuyo” type=”image” alt=”P9110026.JPG” ]

Before landing in Chichirevice I was amazed about the river mouth of the Rio Tocuyo washing muddy brown water into the otherwise crystal clear sea, on the eastern side divided by a current as cleanly as cut with a knife. No slowly melting of the brown and green water! Approaching the city, it was a mixture of a few new apartment buildings and fishermen houses on the water’s edge in a poor state. All beaches in between with quite some busy crowds. They almost reminded me of seals sticking their heads curiously out of the water when they were watching me pass by… 🙂

I had a GPS position where to meet with Nelson, and found him easily on the main beach where hundreds of motorboats were serving the beaches on the outer islands. This area is a nature reserve, but I saw only islands with beaches full of colorful people and umbrellas from the distance. Nature reserve? Holiday reserve rather… only the first island far out with a lighthouse was lurking with an empty white beach. But seeing some boats also traveling back and forth, it can’t be empty either. Now an air conditioned room was rather luring me tonight! But first we had to carry boat and my gear bags about 300 m to their house, no big deal if it wouldn’t be HOT, the paths packed with trash and a huge dirty water puddle blocking a street and me being dead tired. But eventually we made it, on the second walk I rather put on long pants against the ever-present tiny biting bugs. My legs are full of bites anyway!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gumyCnpde0E/UjUct-RaScI/AAAAAAAAW8g/JbznwXn9A-k/s144-c-o/P9120031.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923672461011470786″ caption=”My kayak is in danger underneath the double weight in the hammock!!! Nelson and Annya relaxing in Chichirevice.” type=”image” alt=”P9120031.JPG” ]

A relieving shower did a good job. Thanks to Nelson and Anja, he being an engineer and she a doctor of radiology from Cuba, to share their holiday house with me and to look after me! They invited me to a restaurant in town for a pizza, and Nelson offered to drive me with his motorbike he and his wife were traveling from Caracas with. Anja would take a motortaxi, aka a public motor bike guy. But I rather preferred to walk in this traffic, sorry…maybe I am a chicken on land in unusual traffic, and just a hero on the water… 🙂

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hqBz1aTA5ls/UjUfoqQYsVI/AAAAAAAAW8g/rxcUmoV60cQ/s144-c-o/P9120038.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923675668274000210″ caption=”Cup DD+ is regular in Venezuela!” type=”image” alt=”P9120038.JPG” ]

The pizza was good served by a real Italian, but we unfortunately had to wait longer as they simply forgot our initial order. The place had no air condition but only some fans. Not the best for my skin, and I had to scratch and itch my legs again, having forgotten to take my Cortison cream along. What caught my eye most were the many beach outfit shops presenting their bikinis for sale on plastic model dolls differing very much in size and shape from European models… here cup size DD and a matching bum was regular, and I felt a bit under equipped 🙂 Also a huge advertising sign high up on another beach shop showed two models presenting their almost bare bums in a for European standards rather pornographic way, which would probably be considered  “traffic distracting” in Germany and not allowed…. 🙂 The walk along the main road was at least giving me some insight into Venezuelan beach life. Thanks for inviting me for pizza and an also “original Italian” ice cream, Nelson and Anja!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6f4291BEFDc/UjUeE17PV3I/AAAAAAAAW8g/pHlpzDGz_rc/s144-c-o/P9120036.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5923673953419614066″ caption=”Nelson loves XXXL!!” type=”image” alt=”P9120036.JPG” ]

Back in the house, the air condition was a relief and I instantly felt my tiredness and wear and asked to stay a day to relax my body and skin and to enjoy a long sleep. I already need it again!