Escape From Bangkok

It seems that it's always a hassle to leave Bangkok.
As some of you may remember my frantic escape from the city two years ago (paying a cabbie an incredible sum to get us to the airport ASAP or faster), I can deal with this sort of thing, it's just annoying as Hell.
We spent the entire day shopping at Chattuchak Weekend Market and checking out the ROBOT ZOO at the children's museum. The Robot Zoo was pretty cool. It's a bit difficult to explain, but imagine humungus robot animals (chameleon, bat, giraffe, fly etc) with placards explaining how the robot version works (fuel-processing unit as opposed to a stomach etc). Cool stuff.
Later bummed around the MBK shopping center. Maybe we shouldn't have though. We thought we had ample time, but the cabbie who accepted to take us back to the Khao San road area must have decided against it sometime during the trip in favour of taking us somewhere else completely and wasting our precious time. I let him know in crude language what I thought of him and never even thought of paying him for the time and space he put between us and our destination. Luckily, we were able to hail another cab who was willing. The trouble is that with all of the insanity surrounding Khao San Road during the Songkran, no cabbies want to even go near it. To compicate thing further for us, the whole area was blocked off a few streets away from Khao San, so we had to get out and walk the final leg of the journey. We were lucky not to get completely drenched, because this party is like Canada Day on Rideau Street times 100 and underwater (or almost). We packed and covered our luggage with plastic bags to protect them from the drunken idiots who can't take a hint (i.e: "I have my luggage, I'm obviously going somewhere important, don't drench me"). Elise met one such submoronic example of humanity but didn't say anything to me because she knew I'd have rearranged his teeth for him. esides, once at the airport, we could always change into something a little dryer.
Getting to the airport was almost as exciting as two years ago. Only instead of breakneck speeds providig the thrills, it was the physical constitution of the vehicle that provided it. ngine light on, a stange rattle when going over 80 km/h... unbalanced tires... you name it.
But we made it. And on time, which, when escaping from a city like Bangkok is just a bonus.