12/18/2013
Yesterday the forecast was for force four headwinds today. But when I checked again this morning they were force three improving to two in the afternoon.
So I launched. The woman from the bar I had been blogging from hugged me and the captain of the port and a bunch of marines hung around to watch me leave.
At first the waves were four or five feet and the headwind unpleasant. My route would take me around the coast. The closer to shore I paddled the sooner I would arrive, but the more likely I would get hit by one of the enormous breaking waves.
The entire coast for today was beach. Hills behind the beach were bright green with grass, brown with fields of crops, or dark with forests and scrub plants.
The tall and jagged, grey and brown, forested mountains of Calabrai towered behind the hills, dominating the landscape.
As the the miles passed the wind and waves died down. I’ve been using crackers for energy, and I’ve gradually migrated towards putting a pile on my skirt at the beginning of every hour and eating one every ten minutes. My energy levels are better for it.
The last hour I stopped often, since I ran out of crackers, and my energy dived. My shoulders hurt and I was tired.
I arrived in Bandaloto Marina and my journey for the day was at an end. The entrance to the port had almost filled with sand, but a path had been cut through it, presumably by the sleeping bulldozer on the bank.
I found a dock worker. “Hi, I’m Dov.” I explained in my rudimentary Italian how I had kayaked all the way here.
Usually people are impressed and ask me “How long have you been paddling?” and “Where will you finish?” But he just said “okay.”
Huh, that meant he probably didn’t believe he understood me.
“Can I leave my kayak here overnight?” I asked in Italian.
“Ci.”
“Can I shower?”
“Ci.” He gave me a key.
I also got internet. While I sat working on my blog a local boater approached me.
“I heard your story. If there is anything you need, please let me know. I have a boat here.”
“Does it have a cabin?”
“A small one.”
“Can I sleep in it?” Usually I don’t ask directly for a place to stay but let people offer instead. He sort of had offered.
“Yes!”
My new friend also took me to the supermarket, taking a shortcut through a river in his jeep, and was happy to treat me to my evening’s beans.
“And most importantly ...” he told me as he showed me around the cabin, “here in this chess box is my stash of weed. I insist that you help yourself.”
[gallery type="rectangular" ids="3161,3162,3163,3164,3165,3166,3181,3167,3168,3169,3170,3171,3172,3173,3174,3175,3176,3177,3178,3179,3180,3183,3184"]
Nautical miles paddled: 19.5
Total since Naples: 318.5
Current location: 38.591145,16.568372
What kind of weeds were they? Dandelion? Doesn't he know you are on the go and you might spread invasive species?
ReplyDeleteI'm concerned that you aren't getting enough nutrients. Can you get more chia seeds? Do you have access to nut butters? Are you still drinking lentils while you paddle? Let's figure something out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the concern! I often have a canned legume for dinner. This shabat I had cream cheese and some other kind of cheese, white bread, and a few cans of assorted legumes. I also had a kellogs serial that they try to sell as healthy and full of fiber. It has little bits of chocalate in it. People have been giving me lots of oranges lately, I guess they're in season here.
ReplyDeleteBeth is right. Calories aren't enough, you also need to think of the nutrients you are getting. Good that you are getting lots of oranges.
ReplyDeleteI still have some of those Raw Bite and Roo Bars left. I enjoy their fruity nutty tastiness on mornings when it seems that my diet has gotten bland or I don't have anything else.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eichenhain.com/index.php?cPath=28&MODsid=2e14df1cb7ed82a31264c5b8059ec302
Good! Just drop us a note when you get another address in Italy we can ship to.
ReplyDeleteThe next address will hopefully be in western Greece just as soon as I can get one, so that I'm not laden down with supplies on my crossing. Finding one is turning out to be difficult.
ReplyDelete