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ABOVE BOARD In the slowpoke, Somerset Maugham-era before long-haul flights became commonplace, travel in what was then known as the Far East was only possible by commercial ships. Today there are about half a dozen freight lines operating in Asia that accept paying passengers, which charge $70-$130 per day per person. Voyages range in duration from a 10-day short hop to an epic 114 days (the latter being Houston to Houston on the Egon Oldendorff line, via the Suez Canal, with Jakarta the easternmost port). All the lines have age limits for passengers, ranging from 70 to 80 years; none offer doctors on board.

When I told my friends I was going to sea with a cargo ship, many of them said they had always wanted to try it but had no idea how to go about booking a trip. It's simple to inform yourself by Internet. The biggest online travel agency catering to cargo cultists is at freighterworld.com. You can reach the Egon Oldendorff line directly, at www.oldendorff.com. If you fancy French cuisine, CMA CGM is a major, French-owned freighter line operating transpacific routes, at www.cma-cgm.com. If you're a pre-cyber holdout, Cadogan Guides publishes a guidebook called Travel by Cargo Ship, by Hugo Verlomme et al.