Part 1: Roaming Along the Mekong River

As he climbed out of the Tien River (My Tho City, Tien Giang) late in the evening, Rémi Camus exclaimed enthusiastically: 'Just 79 km more and I'll reach the East Sea.' This lad has swum a total of approximately 4,400 km (total swimming distance) from the source of the Mekong River in Tibet to its delta (in Vietnam).

The Wildest Swim of a Lifetime

Video: Watch Rémi Camus Swim on the Tien River in Vietnam

In October 2013, Rémi stepped into the Mekong River at a point near the Tibet and Mainland border, embarking on an epic swim, conquering the Mekong River across 5 countries: China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Once, a farmer family invited him to sleep in their house. After a hearty meal, he slipped into his sleeping bag and climbed onto the bed to sleep. Shortly after, the homeowner's wife suddenly got into the bed next to him. 'I felt like I was holding my breath, not understanding what was happening.' Just a moment later, the husband also came in and lay next to Rémi. That night, he couldn't sleep with two people lying on both sides, fear swirling in his head.

However, the next morning, when he asked, 'Why did you guys sleep in the same bed with me?' The homeowner laughed awkwardly and said, 'That's the only bed for the whole family.' Despite being extremely impoverished, they spared no hospitality for him.

'I built the biggest fire of my life on the Lan Thuong River. Every day I woke up, I paddled, paddled, the river ahead was still long. Sometimes when storms came, the water rose, and it was amazing because I swam very fast,' Rémi proudly boasted of his achievements on the over 4,000-kilometer-long river.

Moments of disbelief and despair

'If someone asks me if I've swum the entire river, no, I've left about 60 km at the source of the Mekong. To get there, I probably have to get 3 types of permits, one visa from the authorities. I won't spend my sponsor's money on that useless expense,' Rémi said. That was the first obstacle Rémi had to face when starting this long journey on this cross-border river.

In January 2014, Rémi got stuck in Vientiane (Laos), as he was swimming across this city, with two riverbanks on both Laos - Thai borders. 'They took all my belongings,' Rémi recalled that uncomfortable period.

Despite encounters with the police, they kept telling him to go home and wait, to await investigation results. Finally, the investigation dragged on for over a month. They returned Rémi's belongings and told him he was not allowed to swim on this river. Rémi retorted: 'They handed me a 700-page book and told me to read about regulations on the Mekong River. But even in Chapter 1, I clearly saw that people are allowed to move freely on the Mekong River. So, there's no reason to stop me from setting off. I don't want anything, just want to continue swimming!'

Despite the prohibitions, on February 7th, Rémi jumped into the Mekong River and started paddling. He resumed his journey after a month-long wait.

But it didn't end there. When he reached Pakse (Laos), Rémi's feet suddenly swelled up. The swelling grew day by day, and when he paddled, the pain felt like biting into his foot.

Rémi said: 'There seems to be something wrong with the water quality. I swam at the source for two months without any problems.' In a painful effort, he swam to Phnom Penh and was exhausted to the point of having to stay here for many days waiting for his foot to stop hurting.

While telling this story to Thanh Nien Online, Rémi has only 79 km left to reach the East Sea. He's still paddling on the Tien River and climbing ashore with the swelling in his foot worsening.

'I won't stop. When I reach the East Sea, I will end my swim and take a bus back to Ho Chi Minh City to have my foot examined. If I get examined anywhere now, the doctor will surely tell me to rest, to stop. Simply put, I can't stop. I'll just keep paddling, rest when it hurts,' Rémi said.

As per Thanhnien.com.vn

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Referenced from: Mytour Travel Handbook