[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-J1PmPUw8sDs/UyrsI2XHpgI/AAAAAAAAZ9s/6rPr2TAdclI/s144-c-o/P2190024.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage18Brazil1CayenneToAmazonasDelta#5992861890945459714″ caption=”Landing on SAND in a river mouth at low tide, and cooking inside the kayak” type=”image” alt=”P2190024.JPG” ]

First time I saw some sand, at least on low tide…
Pos: here
Loc: behind Punta do Marrecal
Acc: hammock
Dist: 32,9 km
Start: 7:00 End: 14:40

I got up in darkness as usual, but it took a while until I got my kayak and gear in starting position on the end of the mud gully. It was raining all morning, and all my gear was soaked and muddy accordingly. I was also looking like a mud soaked water buffalo myself, but I was ready to leave this unfriendly spot! The surf was less, still I had to time it right to slide into the water and to punch out of the surf zone. I decided to jump in right on the edge of the mud ledge, and to slide in like a seal. It worked, perfect timing, didn’t catch a wave on the surf, and out I was. Away from here! I washed my windshield pants and jacket on the open calm water, good I had those two layers! I stripped my socks and washed them also before I was ready again to put on my poor damaged sandals. But I may be able to repair both on the next dry beach stop! But when will that be?

The running up tide with the stronger wind and rain squall for the next two hours created some nasty breakers, and I already started to pray again… but it got better once the tide went down again. I paddled my ass off on the now following waves, until I turned around a small point showing a drying out river mouth on my chart. I spotted a *real* sandy bay on low tide! I didn’t really already wanted to land, but this was too tempting. After six days of just water, mangroves and mud this was the first real sandy river mouth bay! I was about fifteen minutes too late though, as the first 20 meters walking were still clay mud. But then… I was walking on solid, real sandy firm ground! The gear haul was relatively easy, despite a longer distance, but after I balanced over the first 20 m of mud, I was walking proudly upright with my heavy bags to the inviting looking high dry ledge with some big mangrove trees. Ok, this solid ledge was still firm clay with mangrove roots only, nothing really for a tent site. But I was ok with my hammock eventually, still put up the tent to dry out from last night.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/–_Fg5T8cGWk/UyrjPNki0iI/AAAAAAAAZ9I/0QNJunntJAM/s144-c-o/P2190021.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage18Brazil1CayenneToAmazonasDelta#5992852104650347042″ caption=”First time I saw some SAND on low tide!” type=”image” alt=”P2190021.JPG” ]

I had first time of the trip a cooked dinner outside my tent, and the first cooked dinner after Cayenne. How delicious were the spaghetti with pesto cooked inside the cockpit of my kayak, still well off my hammock site in the breeze without bugs. My night’s appetite was back, feeling safe and easy to launch next day on this spot. The real pleasure would have been if I’d have already dared to change into my dry clothes…but if it may be raining any time, I better waited. Changing time was also out on the sand flat, and then I quickly jumped inside my bug free hammock to have my well deserved peaceful rest.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tTv4Wk2v8-g/UyrsUDRWYOI/AAAAAAAAZ90/imBYao57j7g/s144-c-o/P2190026.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage18Brazil1CayenneToAmazonasDelta#5992862083389481186″ caption=”Hammock camp in the sandy river mouth on a muddy mangrove platform, my tent is drying upside down” type=”image” alt=”P2190026.JPG” ]