Bangkok Mission

I had a little mission on my own in Bangkok.

It was a mission of mercy, so to speak.

See, this friend of mine violated one of those "rules" of computers.  Rules that everyone knows, but no one follows.

The one about no liquids around computer keyboards.

One strawberry-juice soaked Mac keyboard later.....

Oh, shall I mention now that my friend uses a Thai-based computer keyboard??  Because he speaks and writes Thai (as well as 8 other languages).  And that Thai-based computer keyboards can only be purchased in....um...Thailand????

Have I also mentioned that I would do anything for this friend of mine?

(Are you seeing where this is heading?)

We arrived at the Peninsula Hotel at about 4pm, and had no plans until 7pm that evening.

Three hours.

It's rush hour.  In the city that is often acclaimed as the most gridlocked of all traffic gridlocked cities.  In the world.

And the Peninsula is on the opposite side of the river from the Siam Paragon Mall, where the Apple dealer is located.

How many obstacles do I have to jump to get this mission accomplished?

Taxi is out.  Absolutely.  It would take me Gawd knows how long just to get on a bridge across the river.

Concierge solution?  Mass Transit.

Mass transit?  I'm a foreigner in town for one night and I've never been here before.............

Mass transit.  It's easy, I am assured.

Right.

Step one.  Take the Peninsula's water taxi across the river.



(apologies for the less-than-perfect nature of the photographs.  I wanted proof of my mission, not necessarily for it to be published world-wide.  I wanted to travel light, so I had just my iPhone and my credit card).

Step two.  Take the Skytrain  Silom line from Saphan Taksin to Siam.





Yep.
Rush Hour.





TaDa!!!!!  Man, that was fast!  Less than 20 minutes.

It's a beautiful mall.  I could have spent a ton of time there, but I was on a mission.

Look what I found.  I had to check with a few stores, because SOMEONE wanted a WIRED keyboard with a number pad.  But, sadly, they only make  wireless now.

The "kids" at the iStudio were incredibly friendly and helpful.  They were a bit mistified at first WHY a so blatantly American lady would like a Thai keyboard, but I explained and they thought it was a funny story..... (I think it was the strawberry juice that made them believe me).



Step 3.  Reverse steps 2 and 1.

Proof that I did it!





My thanks to the cute ferry porter who took my photo, keyboard in hand.  Mission accomplished.

And I got back just in time for dinner.  In less time than it would have taken ME to procure a mac keyboard for myself here in Middle-of-Nowhere, Georgia.

So that's how I managed to negotiate Bangkok in rush hour traffic to get a Thai keyboard for my Norwegian best friend that I have never met.

And people call me crazy.