They don't sell Bangkok maps... They sell atlases

I'm at the airport so I might not get to bring this completely up to date, but I'll try.

From the Suzuki dealership we drove to T's apartment. It wasn't too far of a drive, but the traffic in Bangkok is terrible. The drivers are actually safe and obey traffic laws, unlike my Africa stops, but this makes things take longer. The public transport system isn't very big either. The buses are used, but about in relation to the percentage of people who ride the bus in KC. They are expanding their above ground Sky Train and underground subway, but these things take time. About half the cars on the road are taxis - hot pink, bright blue, and traditional yellow and black. They are a fair price unless it is not a metered taxi - then they'll scam you for the tourist you are.

When we got to his apartment his wife had prepared dinner. "Prepared" is a loose term because Thai food is more complex to make than a traditional American meal. Both Mao and T's wife (along with most Thai people) buy food from street vendors and either add their own twist or serve it out of the bag. I have a list of what I had written in my luggage, and I'll get it up soon. It was the best meal I had in Thailand so far. T's father brought over some noodles that he had made but couldn't speak a lick of English. T's wife, however, spoke very good English so I was very comfortable. I drank soda water which is popular here and I wasn't a fan. I also had some tasty apple slices and a honey soaked banana thing.

We then took a taxi to a nighttime market in another part of town. Bangkok is so big that it is impossible to get a picture of the skyline because it stretches for kilometers and kilometers. Anyway, we walked around the market and ended up at a huge flower market. My mother would have been able to spend hours there, but I'm a guy so I wasn't going to buy anything. We continued to walk and we passed some temples and a pier and came to a very touristy street lined with bars. There were lots of white people there socializing. We walked through because if I wanted to socialize with white people I can do that in Missouri. We took a taxi back to their apartment and I checked into my own apartment. T had arranged for me to rent a one room apartment for 400 baht a night. The best news was that it had AC and hot water - and a western toilet. It was midnight so we said our goodnights and they gave me a small flower thing as a gift. I passed out quickly because I had a long day and I had to wake up at 6:30 the next day.

I'm going to head through security now so I'm going to have to stop here. I'll tell you about T's shop and my last 2 days in Thailand soon.