East of Croydon

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of East of Croydon written and read by Sue Perkins.

A few years ago I was asked if I'd like to make a documentary on the Mekong River, travelling from the vast delta in Vietnam to the remote and snowy peaks of Tibet.

Up until that point, the farthest East I'd been was Torremolinos, in the Costa Del Sol.

Here's the thing:

I am scared of flying.
I have zero practical skills.
I can't survive if I am more than a three minute walk from a supermarket.
For the last seven years I have suffered with crippling anxiety
I bolt when panicked.
I cannot bear to witness humans or animals in distress
I have no ability to learn languages.
I am a terrible hypochondriac

And I am no good with boats.

So I said yes.