[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fkM7JsbwNGY/VRhLGh_mwCI/AAAAAAAAnaQ/03H4EQtrTSo/s144-c-o/IMG_1844.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733468241379362″ caption=”Each tree has 2-3 scars and plastic bags attached” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1844.JPG” ]

trip days left: 38
straight distance left: 732 km
Pos: here
Loc: Lagoa dos Patos
Acc: tent
Dist: 59,8 km
Start: 6:05 End: 18:10

A great day of paddling with good progress. Calm winds in the morning hours, then up to 15 knots nicely following from NE. Not much sun, but warm enough air and water to paddle free without jacket. This is how I like it! Just a shirt on the top, nothing else.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1fZSvGC8dMI/VRhKc11TLxI/AAAAAAAAnTw/ofOk48NfOwc/s144-c-o/IMG_1842.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131732752012357394″ caption=”The next light house looks a bit more old-fashioned friendly” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1842.JPG” ]

I spotted many houses with cars, a few people and even two or three small hidden “villages”. A few fishing boats, farm activities, the usual pump houses in small side ditches and last night were even two large ships out there, no fishing boats, maybe some research or working ships? No idea what they were doing there. All in all not too remote here, and one must be able to drive to the shore from the main road on many places. Just in case you like to paddle here and to do a shorter trip! It is really worth with relaxing beautiful nature, shallow water and suitable mostly everywhere for beginners, even on stronger NE wind like today.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7G0D6X4oYxk/VRhKiKtWGvI/AAAAAAAAnTw/K1tlmDl3Sjo/s144-c-o/IMG_1840.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131732843515484914″ caption=”A long ago stranded navigation sign” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1840.JPG” ]

Today I found the  solution of the scars in the pine trees. They really “milk” the treesforresin bycutting two or three long scars around the tree, just leaving enough bark to let it stay alive. A plastic bag is tied under each scar, and slowly but surely the resin is running or better dripping into the bag until some guy is collecting the harvest for probably industrial use.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MJzlsd4Py1M/VRhLNyZxS4I/AAAAAAAAnTw/WlCa7xHx_0w/s144-c-o/IMG_1847.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733592905173890″ caption=”The pine tree plantation is raised only for harvesting the resin? Or also for the wood later?” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1847.JPG” ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cw_wfspguo4/VRhLDBeDx7I/AAAAAAAAnTw/LmhUzR1ua5s/s144-c-o/IMG_1846.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733407971133362″ caption=”The pine tree resin is syrupy and not dry yet” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1846.JPG” ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-l_9UVayu4qE/VRhK10dTLTI/AAAAAAAAnTw/BYTJwM8HiI0/s144-c-o/IMG_1843.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733181139987762″ caption=”An active plantation to harvest pine tree resin into plastic bags. Three scars on each tree, leaving just enough continuous bark to let the tree alive” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1843.JPG” ]

Only when you come to the hook at the end of a wide bay, in the deepest corner it is a bit surfy, but really nothing serious. When it goes up to the hook, the water is deeper, the surf goes down again and you may think it is the real sea before around the tip it gets calm and shallow again. All easy and relaxing!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vAeawTd_DWk/VRhLiIkTqnI/AAAAAAAAnTw/yWB1kVhix2g/s144-c-o/IMG_1857.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733942452333170″ caption=”The water is littered with a huge amount of green algae leafs” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1857.JPG” ]

This hook had some funny absolute green water in the deepest corner. Not only small millimeter green chlorophyll pieces like I have seen on other spots, this corner was filled with two to three millimeter foil-like pieces coloring my white shirt fully green on some splashing waves. Interesting! The corner was also littered with unused fishing net poles, hundreds of them! Quite a slalom…before the corner, a bunch of real active nets were lines up. Not sure why the corner ones were not used anymore? So many…

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Rn6WukGpCoI/VRhLY2hTFHI/AAAAAAAAnTw/uO6yo5z_3aU/s144-c-o/IMG_1861.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733782989050994″ caption=”The tiny rocky island on the next headland, once a spot for some (light) house. Now littered with wall rests” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1861.JPG” ]

At the tip, a real tiny rocky island showed the remainders of a wall hosting probably an old lighthouse. Nothing left than broken walls any more…I had to paddle a bit harder up to the tip with the wind now from the side and front right, but I urgently liked to get around the tip today! At the tip was a beach access, which I left out, not really knowing where there would be the next opening in the dense reed belt. It became late, and making camp in very last light would mean also in a cloud of bugs. I checked a man-made cut into the reed, but the green meadow behind looked wet and the sandy area far away, and I decided to push on to the next better chance with good speed now. There is always a gap in the reed to a beach access, and the back country is sandy everywhere here. And my easy sandy beach access came in time before the bug invasion started. I made camp on a sandy spot a little higher up with a good overview, knowing I would have to stay here at least tomorrow with strong headwinds.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OpyZhT8JJP4/VRhLbS3chGI/AAAAAAAAnTw/bEPWOiyiWoU/s144-c-o/IMG_1855.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733824957875298″ caption=”One more of the high and dry fishing boat storage.” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1855.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-V-mSZprDkzo/VRhLM2Spv9I/AAAAAAAAnTw/SPnmoiN2IMM/s144-c-o/IMG_1853.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733576769191890″ caption=”The ducks have a wide fight distance” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1853.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tSxKb_j21co/VRhLN8UI2MI/AAAAAAAAnTw/_yLlLeDxxFA/s144-c-o/IMG_1850.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733595565906114″ caption=”More ducks close to the beach…” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1850.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/–a7NJZdiv7w/VRhLcBnasSI/AAAAAAAAnTw/Zck55V86_S8/s144-c-o/IMG_1865.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6131733837507113250″ caption=”My favorite black and red birds” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1865.JPG” ]