Titanic

What a journey! It began with a super early at 5.45 to get to the speed boat launch for the trip to Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat. The restaurant near the launch was somewhat inappropriately named "Titanic".

The journey was beautiful: through Cambodian countryside, past floating villages; shacks lined the river banks, raised several metres on stilts to escape the wet season waters when the flow of the river reverses and goes from the Mekong delta to fill up lake Tonlé Sap.

The boat was like an enhanced narrow boat and we spent the early morning sunbathing on the roof. About midday, Kate and I went downstairs to escape the burning sun, only to be greeted by a 'pop' as the rear of the boat filled rapidly with acrid, black smoke. The pilot and crew, who didn't, or wouldn't, speak a word of English, went to the back and tinkered with their spanners as we floated aimlessly. We went outside to the fresher, but baking air. There was no land in sight and the boat started listing significantly to one side. After thirty minutes, the sun drove us inside, only to discover water seeping up through the bolts on the steel floor. No lifejackets. No lifeboats. No working radio. No phone signal. The crew were nowhere to be seen, still fiddling with the engine. People were becoming noticably agitated.

An hour later, there was a click. Then, a thud. The engines chugged into gear and the boat sped forward, to everyone's applause and the bilge pumps started working overtime.

We were transferred to several smaller boats when we hit the northern side of the lake to take us up-river, past the amazing floating villages, and incredible poverty, towards the pick-up point where hoardes of tuk-tuks, beggars, pick-pockets and bag porters all clammered for our dollars.

We made it safely to Siem Reap but in my worst nightmares, we're still trying to swim for shore.