Our first obstacle for the day was getting up at 4am. We had to cross a river right outside Petite Borindi, which could only be done at low tide. We were able to wade through the water which was not much more than knee deep. Somehow I managed to get our maps of the region wet, however.
We continued along the beach and came to another river that needed to be crossed. The estuary was quite narrow but deep and fast-flowing, with high sandy banks left and right. Our only chance was to jump as far as possible into the river from the far edge of ‘our’ bank and hope we’d have swum across before we’d drifted into the open sea.
We were carrying a heavy backpack each and I had a dry back with our valuables strung around my shoulders. I jumped first and Emma followed immediately. We were flushed through the narrow gorge within just a second or two but I managed to put my feet onto reliable ground in somewhat calm water at the outermost corner of the opposite bank. I turned my head and immediately saw that Emma didn’t have as much luck. She was too far away from the bank and the water was too deep there for her to stand on the ground. I turned around and reached for her hand and pulled her towards me. The momentum was enough to get her out of the central current so that she eventually managed to swim towards and climb onto the beach. By pulling her I lost traction and we basically switched positions so that I was now drifting away from the beach. Fortunately, as the river’s waters collided with the ocean’s, the current lost its strength and the river’s bed became shallower. I managed to barely hold my position both walking and swimming against the current in neck-deep water maybe 15 meters from the beach. By moving in a half circle I safely reached the beach.
Beautiful landscape to our right as we continued to the South. Sandy beaches, stony beaches, mangroves, corals. Sometimes we climbed over large rocks, sometimes we swam around cliffs. Lots of fish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, moray eels, crabs, starfishes.
Another river to cross. This time it consisted of three deep and wide but not too fast-flowing arms so that we could swim through.
Eventually we reached Presqu’île Porc-Epic, the porcupine peninsula, probably named for it’s peculiar shape. Exhausted but somewhat happy we pitched tent/hung hammock and cooked dinner.
Later all hell broke loose, with heavy storm and rainfall. Had a shower under a palm tree. The leaves funnel the water in a convenient way.