Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Kayaking is an activity I really do enjoy. It must be said, however, that my kayaking experience, until Wednesday February 7, was limited to fresh water inland rivers in southwestern Ontario and western Québec. My Quinta neighbours, Guido and Karine invited me to join their hiking group in a kayaking adventure organized by Kim. Our staring point was the beach east of Olhão and our destination was a section of beach on the Island of Armona. I accepted the challenge, so off we went early in the morning along with our neighbour Os. His wife, Sue, kindly agreed to take care of Jackson for the day. I knew from previous experience that kayaking isn’t exactly his favourite thing to do.

After donning life jackets and applying extra sunscreen, we pulled our kayaks into the water and got in/on. These were completely open kayaks with a spot at the front or back to fasten down a waterproof bag. They were sort of a cross between a prefab kayak and a canoe. We crossed the open channel to a small beach on the island where we stopped for few minutes. The tide was coming in and the water levels were evidently rising. However, there were many spots near the shore where the water wasn’t more than a few feet deep. We rounded the tip of the island and headed into a sheltered cove where we beached the kayaks and set off on foot to explore. The beach was wonderful and although there were dark clouds on the horizon and hanging around the hills, the sun shone warm and bright. The water was definitely cold!

Kim provided us with an amazing array of delicious food for lunch. There was plenty for everyone and was certainly welcome considering all the fresh air and exercise we had experienced and the energy required for the return trip.

After a leisurely lunch and many games of toss the sea shell for Spike the dog, we waded across the shallow river of salt water back to our kayaks.

The trip back was at high tide and the wind was coming in from the south west. We headed across the channel with the current and wind pushing us sideways. Paddling took a bit of extra effort! We all arrived safely on shore and proceeded to help Kurt and Kim load up all the equipment. if you’re in the Algarve and want to kayak, I highly recommend him and Spike for an amazing adventure. If Kim is involved, even better. His web site is http://www.rootskayak.com . His motto: Worry Less, Kayak More!

Sitting here 24 hours later with the wind and the rain pounding against the pane, so to speak, it’s wonderful to recall this sun filled adventure. It made for a good appetite!