BUS CRASH

The roads aren't paved. Not even on this busy route from Siem Riep, Cambodia to the border for Thailand (see picture). But our mad-as-a-hatter driver (and I know he's mad) still races along at break-neck speed. Our speed seems hugely multiplied by the bumps being directly transferred to the passengers via the uncushioned seats. I have my ear plugs in. But still the windows rattle so loudly and so aggressively that I'm genuinely worried about losing my boyish (girlish?) good looks if the glass explodes in my face. We're passing all kinds of traffic in this strange desert-like land. Looking out the machine-gun sounding window it seems we were in Africa, not Asia. Motorcyles cruise by with live pigs, chickens, bags of rice, crates of Coke and other assorted sundries securely harnessed on.

Pick-up trucks with human cargo returning from a days work stare at us reminding me how far from home I am.Sitting on the passenger side I have a good view of the madness ahead. But I choose not too look for the most part, saving my heart attack for another day. However I do see the black Toyota up ahead, stopped at the small bridge. It catches my eye because it's quite a nice car, rare in these parts. I'm still looking at it as our driver hits the breaks. Still looking as the driver realises the brakes don't work. Still looking as the other passengers start to see and the women begin screaming. Still looking as our idiot driver swings the wheel sharply to the left, seemingly away from the car and into the river. As people catch sight of the river the screams grow louder, now men are also shouting. Lucky for all of us our driver is too slow. We smash into the back of the Toyota (with a family of seven inside), knock it out of the way and roll towards the river (see pictures). We lose just enough momentum and come to a hault about 2 meters before the river bank. Almost tipping, we slowly exit the bus, passenger side first, to make sure we don't tip. My seat, next to the (unopening) window, with 3 people on my right would have ensured I got squashed and trampeled on before drowning, so I'm very relieved to be getting off this bus. Amazingly no one was hurt.

And two hours later, we were back on the same bus heading for the border.

Cambodia, every day is an adventure.

Photos (from top): the Toyota we hit, main road, traffic passing our stopped bus, where the bus lost momentum.