So… I created a bit of an issue with my carry everywhere point-and-shoot Canon Elph 110 HS that I bought for my trip to Thailand/Laos. Let’s just say a visit to the factory will be required… don’t ask. If I mention “water buffalo” will that suffice?
Ixus 125 HS, the non-North American version of the Elph 110 HS
So, I was surprised at how seriously “off” I was feeling not having a camera on me everyday—almost a sort of withdrawal; great situations begging to be photographed just seemed to be flying by constantly. Sure, I’ve got a camera in my iPhone 3GS but the lens is badly scratched and using a cell phone as a real camera doesn’t do it for me—crap form factor. And, my EOS kit and accessories weigh almost 40lbs, so that was out of the question for trip snapshots. Laos is a place where you really should have a small camera on you at all times. There are just too many interesting things happening.
So, while making a Visa run to the Thai border, I discovered there is a Canon Concept Store in Vientiane run by SOA, Co. I have to admit, I wasn’t holding out for much. I really didn’t believe they would have what I was looking for.
SOA’s Canon Concept Store, 181 Rue Thadeua, Vientiane, Laos
So I was genuinely surprised—I was surprised because I’ve only come across one other store in Laos that had a decent selection of electronics, but they didn’t carry Canon. Long story short, I sent a message very late on Thursday to SOA’s Facebook page. And I had a message waiting for me Friday morning. We messaged back and forth a bit and they let me know that they had the camera in stock, in the color I wanted (I’ll take a camera in any color as long as it is black), and what the price was. Pricing was higher than in the USA, which I knew beforehand. But, it was cheaper than in Thailand, which really surprised me.
When I arrived, I was greeted by a woman named Tar. She was quite helpful (despite my atrocious pronunciation of the nine Lao words I know), got the camera out, charged the battery, installed the SD card, and set the time/date. And brought me a glass of cold water (it is about 97°, but the ‘feels like’ temperature is about 111°). Nice service! So, just for the hell of it, meet Tar:
She has that “I get photographed by customers too often” look…
If you happend to be traveling in Laos and need some Canon gear (they stock everything from “L” glass to point & shoots to printers—and I think they have Apple products also), stop by SOA’s Canon Concept Store and take a look around.