Editor’s Note: Rev. Dr. Dave Ellingson is a 1965 graduate of Clear Lake High School. Recently the author/adventurer, known as the Paddle Pilgrim, led a month-long adventure down the Mekong River, through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to the South China Sea. Ellingson said he grew up in the 1960’s during the Vietnam war and has felt drawn to southeast Asia for many years. He said the journey was an opportunity to honor all whose lives were dramatically changed by that terrible time. Ellingson had three “Paddle Partners” on the trek, including CLHS classmate Dr. Deby (Akerberg) Cassill. Pastor Tom Glasoe, of Pennsylvania, and David Gehrke, Seattle, Wash., completed the team. The expedition benefitted the Dith Pran Foundation, which raises money to support the educational dreams of Cambodian young people, the Center of Rehabilitation and Support for Handicapped Children in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and the Dave Ellingson Scholarship for Environmental Studies.
by Rev. Dr. Dave Ellingson
As an expedition paddler who has kayaked the Mississippi River, Erie Canal and Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty and the Fjords of Norway, detailed planning is essential. Pouring over maps, checking weather patterns, securing excellent gear, and “mental preparation” are required.
Paddling the Mekong River in Southeast Asia through Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam presented a whole new set of challenges including foreign languages, currencies, cultures, and, above all, a huge and mysterious river.
Plans almost immediately were aborted due to the pandemic and three years passed before we could launch. This may seem like a minor issue, but at age 75 I am well aware of both my strengths and my limitations.
An original team member was unable to join us for round two, so recruiting a new person was a challenge. Fortunately, a Clear Lake High School 1965 classmate contacted me and expressed interest. I was delighted to add Dr. Deby (Akerberg) Cassill, a world-renowned field-biologist to fill the role of team scientist. Our team was now complete. David Gehrke, a retired criminal defense attorney and frequent pilgrim on the Camino Del Santiago, was our legal beagle and Tom Glasoe, a Lutheran pastor, was a Vietnamese American and a “product of the war.” What we all had in common was a love of adventure and this turned out to be an adventure of a lifetime.
The great Scottish Poet Robert Burns in his poem “To a Mouse” proclaims “the best laid schemes o’mice an’ men/Gang agley.” i.e., our best laid plans often go awry. I call this the Paddler’s Paradox.
Detailed planning is crucial but be prepared for serendipitous surprises.
For example, the map says there is a town “just around the bend” but the Mighty Mekong River in its own wisdom has changed course and so must our team.
One evening soon after launching in Champassak, Laos, we were ready to camp for the night. We found a sandy beach and pulled our boats ashore and set up our tents. Hoping to resupply our water, we hiked inland toward some buildings only to find we were on an island. Time to ration our H20. The next morning, I went exploring and saw two figures in the distance. As I approached it was a woman and her young son gathering watermelons, which the residents had planted all over the island during the dry season. We camped on watermelon island.
We knew the days would be in the upper 90’s, but we weren’t prepared for the hazy conditions caused by farmers burning off their rice paddies. As a result, we didn’t paddle as much as we anticipated. A friend who was following us on Facebook commented, “you are stopping more to smell the roses.” As I reflected on this insight I thought of the official flower of this region, the Lotus, and wrote an essay, “Lingering with the Lotus” which celebrates the paradox of one door closing and another opening.
New perils presented themselves, as we had to dodge water buffalo on the river and scores of motorcycles on clogged city streets. These were more than offset by serendipities like enjoying Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at a convenience store named “Smile.” We did!
Later in our journey the massive Mekong Delta welcomed us to Vietnam. The river divides into multiple channels and choices. In my planning I had read about the Mekong Environmental Forum an NGO (non-government organization) which works with local farmers and fishermen to develop sustainable practices and ecotourism. For a week, Dr. Quang from Can Tho University and his “citizen scientist” students took us around this maze of waterways to various creative ventures which elevate the status of women, address rural poverty, and care for creation. Along the way we encountered remarkable people I call “river angels,” who went out of their way to welcome us and share their culture and history.
Pan hosted us at his beautiful hotel in Laos and was our guide to the Khone Falls, a magnificent series of cataracts stretching miles across the river. He also explained the enormous economic influence of China in Laos which he feels is a “mixed blessing.” Dr. Quang described it as “neo-colonialism.”
In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, our angel was Dr. Phil, who works with the Lutheran Church’s Dignity Project, which helps rural communities with health issues. Thu became our interpreter when we visited the orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City where Tom lived as a boy before being adopted by an American Family. She is now working with Tom to help him find his biological mother. Thu is also an editor for the Hanoi Times has asked me to write an article for the largest newspaper in Vietnam.
A final and delightful surprise: the food was even better than we expected. Bon Appetit and Bon Voyage!
Rev. Dr. Dave Ellingson is a retired pastor/professor, father of five children and five grandchildren, and lives in Edmonds, Wash. For more information about his books/films/podcast/speaking possibilities go to paddle-pilgrim.com. Deby Cassill is associate professor at the University of South Florida with over 50 publications in research journals on the behavior of fire ants and other nefarious creatures.
