So real, we slept in our travelling clothes and took our luggage down to the beach with our eyes barely open before breakfast. We wake up while eating, then we pack our gear in the kayaks like old pros. Virginie, the Foundation’s kayak guide, teaches us the ABC’s of paddling and we do some stretching exercises. Then comes the Fashion show. Here’s Julia resplendent in her rainwear and her spray deck worn like a skirt under her life vest before settling in the cockpit (a small space we must slide in to sit in the kayak). We all look like super star adventurers.
It 8:30 a.m., let the fifes and drums announce to the world that we’re in the water. Our friend, the wind, is still there but not as insistent as yesterday. We’re 14 kilometres away from our campsite. The first ten coming out of the cape are quite arduous. The waves grow bigger by the minute, ignoring the fact that we’re only beginners. As we round the cape, the wind hits us full face. Denis blows his whistle and we head for the safety of a small beach. We devour our lunch and wait for the weatherman’s instructions. We’re a little disappointed yet proud to have paddled those 10 kilometres. After a game of “mime that film title”, Pamela does a wonderful imitation of Sleeping Beauty. As we start feeling stranded on a desert island, a decision is made: we’ll break down in two teams and get to the camp in the Zodiac. COOL. With each wave breaking on our dinghy, we howler with joy (with fear in the case of your blogger). After setting up the tents, we’re treated to homemade Burritos. Later, after the campfire, we go to bed proud of our victory over the elements and of our first day kayaking.