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Oh I could see lots of outside of KL trips possible, I'll know better about planning next time. Wednesday is a cave and bird park day with city Centre at night. Thursday might just be rent a hotel to get some quiet time to do some interviews. This room is definitely not interview friendly. Trying to think of interview friendly places to go in se Asia.
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Jan 22, 2013 11:15
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If you have an hour free in the KL city center, I recommend aimlessly wandering around by the canal to look at all the murals randomly painted on the walls. They're a fun mix of really neat and really awful. They're on the stretch of canal just south of the central market.
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Jan 22, 2013 12:22
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So I'm now making a side trip to Cambodia. By coincidence, a friend is in SE Asia at the same time as me so I am joining up with her for a few days in Cambodia (Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Battambang). She has Thai friends who have planned everything out so it should be pretty smooth. Any tips, besides bring USD, preferably small denominations? Wikitravel/wikivoyage seem to indicate that it is straightforward to get a visa at the border with a US passport. Anything to be sure to see or do? ReindeerF posted:Are there tiny larvae crawling out of it yet? Yeah, I may have been worrying and overstating it. Now I'm thinking it was probably a new bite. Got another one and I felt a tickle for maybe 15 seconds before I realized it was a mosquito. So I think the mosquitos in Chiang Mai are just really hungry. I put on some hydrocortisone cream and took a Benadryl and it looks a lot better. If my arm falls off I'll post here so you guys can laugh and say you told me to go to the hospital. Incidentally, the hydrocortisone is the only thing I've bought here that is almost the same price as back home. ante posted:I should be in Ko Phangan tomorrow morning in preparation for that stupid hippy backpacker party. Any suggestions for a good hostel or advice for finding one? I'm going as well. Figured I have to see it once, even if the vibe sucks. I booked a bungalow in Haad Yao for four days so I can be away from the noise on the other days. It was kind of a pain in the rear end since I can't get there until the 25th. I found a list of bungalows/guest houses/resorts on the island and then tried to book the ones that looked promising. A lot of them don't have a phone number for booking. You have to do it by email and of course it's not like they're checking their email all the time. Since you'll be there in person your best bet is probably to pick a beach that sounds nice and wander around until you find a place that isn't full. My impression is that there are clusters of accomodations on some of the beaches and probably plenty of small bungalows/guest houses that can't be found online. I could be totally wrong though. If you want to meet up I'm not opposed and it'd be cool although I'm sure the whole thing is going to be a huge CF so it might not work out.
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Jan 22, 2013 13:00
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Just spent three days at the Nana Hotel at my jerkoff friends recommendation, thanks rear end in a top hat. Handsome man. Handsome man. HANDSOME MAN!
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Jan 22, 2013 14:01
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duralict posted:If you have an hour free in the KL city center, I recommend aimlessly wandering around by the canal to look at all the murals randomly painted on the walls. They're a fun mix of really neat and really awful. I recommend doing the same in Jogjakarta, it has a quite good graffiti scene. Famous (for Indonesia) artists like Love Hate Love and HEREHERE, etc. I just got a tattoo done on my forearm from a piece I saw in Jogja.  Googling for "jogjakarta graffiti" brings up a lot of cool, weird art.
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Jan 22, 2013 14:13
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So, I'm finalizing my trip to Cebu area, and I'm leaving Thursday. I'm going to be in Cebu 3 days, Bohol 2 Days, and 3 days in Negros Oriental. I have a place book in Cebu for the whole trip, it was a cheap package with my flight, I will store most of my valuables these in the lockbox while I island hop. Should I reserves hostels in the other two places ahead of time, or is it okay to just find a place when I get there. Also, anything thing people rec doing.
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Jan 22, 2013 14:32
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ReindeerF posted:Are there tiny larvae crawling out of it yet? I had a delayed reaction to mosquito bites. Arrived in Phuket, got bit like gently caress on the first day with no reaction. 5 days later my entire leg was covered in seeping sores and scabs, pretty grim really. It's taken almost a month for them to heal up properly.
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Jan 22, 2013 14:56
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I have been lurking this thread for the last couple weeks and have noticed a general dislike for the full moon party, has anyone been to the half moon? From what I have heard it's a lot better?
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Jan 22, 2013 15:05
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E_P posted:Just spent three days at the Nana Hotel at my jerkoff friends recommendation, thanks rear end in a top hat. Handsome man. Handsome man. HANDSOME MAN! schweg posted:Any tips, besides bring USD, preferably small denominations? Wikitravel/wikivoyage seem to indicate that it is straightforward to get a visa at the border with a US passport. Anything to be sure to see or do? Visa's incredibly simple. If you're running out of room, do the eVisa online, as the normal one takes up a full page. And I could fill up a full page with things to see or do. In Battambang, eat at the Gecko Cafe (I know, but it's good food) and especially Pomme D'Amour, then have drinks at Madison Corner. The latter two are owned by a really friendly French character named Philippe and are non-missionary joints. Seng Hout hotel isn't fancy, but it's clean and safe and in the middle of town. If you want more posh, French villa accommodations, check out the villa just outside of town - can't think of the same, but you'll see it. Something like Au Cabaret Vert, I forget. In Phnom Penh there's just too much to recommend - what do you want to do? Tytan can fill in more than me, but I can offer advice from my point of view. I could go on for pages about PNH, I love it. For very clean, affordable guesthouse accommodations I'd go with Velkommen. I know the owners and they're honest, standup guys who provide a very god service for the money - I'd prefer Velkommen Guesthouse as opposed to Velkommen Backpackers (across the street). For higher end, The Plantation is beautiful. FCC is getting long in the tooth, but good for nostalgia personally. Siem Reap is pretty self-explanatory, but I will put in a plug for a little bar there down one of the alleys called Picasso that's got a great, relaxed vibe. Also, there's a cool open-air joint across from the hideous "Tex-Mex" restaurant (do not go) that I can't recall the name of. I find SR pretty contrived, but it's somehow become the artsy fartsy second city in Cambodia in spite of being completely manufactured from whole cloth to funnel tourist dollars in and out. If anyone in the group is gay, it's the gay-friendliest city with a small, but popular gay bar and club scene. For guesthouse accommodations, I'd again recommend Velkommen's new Siem Reap location. For higher end I still like FCC, though I hear that the Victoria Angkor is quite nice. It's run by a friend of some friends and they all rave about it for the price. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 17:12 on Jan 22, 2013 |
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Jan 22, 2013 15:56
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So, uh, ReindeerF .. apparently, escorts in Manila are a .. thing. I was driving back with a taxi and the driver handed me a card for... this: http://www.vipmanila.net/all/models.html
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Jan 22, 2013 16:00
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So I'm coming back to Thailand in May. I've mostly been lurking, but I'd definitely like to meet up with some goons for beer in Bangkok when I get there. Completely random question - since I'm coming back on a semi-permanent basis and I usually pack extremely lightly, I think this time I'd like to take advantage of my full luggage allowance. I am friends with a Thai family and they have younger children. If I brought my old (US) Gamecube over for them, would it work on a Thai TV? I could just travel with a carry-on, but considering the airline gives me 100 lbs to work with and I'm going directly there, I figure might as well have some fun with it. Anyway, I'm looking forward to meeting up at the beginning of May and sipping on a nice cold Leo.
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Jan 22, 2013 16:15
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Yeah, it's pretty common marketing over there if you're in Makati or Ortigas and obviously foreign. I have to be fair to the Phils, in spite of the fact that sex workers from around the region are imported from The Philippines, I was never accosted in Manila the way you are in Bangkok, certain areas of KL and so on. If you go to P. Burgos or Angeles (or certain other places like L.A. Cafe) then you're going to get an eye full and get harassed a bit, but elsewhere I got business cards and flyers for sure, though no one was grabbing my arm and trying to drag me anywhere. Maybe it's the Catholic influence or something that keeps it out of the streets, but good on 'em whatever it is. The guns, the hookers, the lovely food, the dirty expats, the crap mall nightlife and everything are notable, but it's always the little things that jump out at me over time. The ones that really stood out in Manila were the way that every construction site says "ON THIS SITE WILL RISE" in a Biblical reference, tons of buildings have In God We Trust (or whatever) in giant neon letters on top, 50% of all women have a small gut and smoke, 20% of all men walk with a limp, you'll never stop at a crosswalk corner for a second without someone just starting to sing out loud as if it's the most normal thing ever, you can't walk into any international chain business without someone saying "HELLO SIR HOW ARE YOU SIR THANK YOU FOR COMING SIR THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME EXACT CHANGE SIR PLEASE COME BACK SIR" and every place has red plastic tables and chairs outside for you to sit around drinking beer at. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 16:29 on Jan 22, 2013 |
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Jan 22, 2013 16:26
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ReindeerF posted:and chairs outside for you to sit around drinking beer at. Best part of Manila.
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Jan 22, 2013 16:33
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Crazy C posted:I have been lurking this thread for the last couple weeks and have noticed a general dislike for the full moon party, has anyone been to the half moon? From what I have heard it's a lot better? I went to the FMP a year ago in October and had a lot of fun. With that said, I don't really feel the desire to go again. And I would never in a million years go alone. I think it's one of those experiences you should have once in your life.
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Jan 22, 2013 17:03
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Chair Huxtable posted:I think it's one of those experiences you should have once in your life.
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Jan 22, 2013 17:06
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ReindeerF posted:qwerty! You came to Thailand and didn't tell me? As a fellow long-time D&D poster I am insulted! Not sure about the froyo, but moving to Thailand is never a bad idea ^__^ Yeah, sorry to miss out on a meetup in Thailand, but it was a honeymoon and I couldn't figure out any halfway appropriate time to meet up. Had a great time in Thailand again and I never wanted to leave Koh Tao. I'm giving serious thought to leaving the legal profession to open up a froyo place there. I just need to learn the first thing about froyo.
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Jan 22, 2013 18:21
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Yo, Lao experts, I have to make a visa run to Vientiane next month and I was wondering about recommendations on things to do while I wait on the embassy to sort me out. I went through briefly a couple of years ago, but only stayed a couple of days before getting bored and moving on. Everyone talks poo poo about how boring Vientiane is, but surely I must be missing something? Also thinking about Koh Lanta in the near-ish future, how do goons rate it?
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Jan 22, 2013 20:05
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spittoon posted:Yo, Lao experts, I have to make a visa run to Vientiane next month and I was wondering about recommendations on things to do while I wait on the embassy to sort me out. I went through briefly a couple of years ago, but only stayed a couple of days before getting bored and moving on. Everyone talks poo poo about how boring Vientiane is, but surely I must be missing something? Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan) http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Vientiane#Nearby edit: Can anyone with experience in the Philippines comment on travel between Cebu, Palawan (El Nindo?) and Boracay? Specifically, cheapest way to get in from SEA (any city is fine,) and cheapest way out (to any city, preferably different from the entry.) Also, how much to travel between the 3 destinations, and if going to Palawan, is it worth going to Boracay? Vice versa. Philippines seem to be a bit more expensive as it's all islands and you most likely got to fly everywhere? Wonder how much a Philippine leg would cost if I add it to my trip as I have an extra month now. lol internet. fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 22, 2013 20:18
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Goddammit ReindeerF now I want to go to Manilla. Also I blame this future hangover on the hot German girl. Should have bought an iso 100 too.
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Jan 22, 2013 20:51
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A Cambodian Second Grader posted:
From William T. Vollmann's "The Atlas" raton fucked around with this message at 00:44 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 00:32
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I spent a couple weeks on Koh Lanta during the off season and really liked it. The island's a really good mix of stuff - it has a nice ecological reserve, a lot of curvy hill roads that make for fun moto excursions, a couple of nice little towns. There's a bunch of low-end guesthouses and restaurants around but also a couple of ultra-nice honeymoon type places that are fun to poke around because the theming is a little overzealous (one's built up the side of a hill Swiss Family Robinson style, another's covered in the most ridiculous old lawn sculptures and the bungalows are all shaped like boats or treehouses...). Lanta also has a lot of really good restaurants dotted around, most of which are reasonably priced even in the fancier areas. The backpacker beach has a huge variance in quality at roughly the same price (both for rooms and food), so be careful of that at least. The main downside is that the beaches aren't very good for swimming on most of the island, although they're still gorgeous. It's a long tidal zone so the water stays shallow very far out and it's very rocky and the sand is pretty muddy on most of the island. (The beaches down by the resorts are pretty good, though.) More than half the island was closed for the off season and there were very few tourists around, though. It might have a completely different atmosphere this time of year. edit: the only thing I can put in the Plus column for Vientiane is the ubiquitous high-quality French food. The negatives aren't extreme but it's easy 2-3x the price of the rest of the country and there's very little to see or do there. duralict fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 00:38
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/\/\/\ Yeah, the food is very good. Same's true in PNH.spittoon posted:Yo, Lao experts, I have to make a visa run to Vientiane next month and I was wondering about recommendations on things to do while I wait on the embassy to sort me out. I went through briefly a couple of years ago, but only stayed a couple of days before getting bored and moving on. Everyone talks poo poo about how boring Vientiane is, but surely I must be missing something? ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 02:25
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We were talking about random violence involving foreigners being rare earlier. I just ran across this story today, which Drummond has been keeping in the headlines: http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2013/01/killer-cop-gets-remission-for-river.html The thing that applies there is the advice I always give: don't stick around for too many drinks with working class local folks - especially cops, who are notorious for hanging out and drinking. It sounds all expat-ish and condescending, but I don't mean it for people who live here and can navigate things culturally a bit more adeptly, I mean it for tourists. Chances are that nothing will happen, but if it's going to happen, it's going to happen because Somchai gets pissed out of his gourd and you accidentally offend him with some imperceptible or imagined slight and then he just completely loses his poo poo. \/\/\/ There have been several stories, so I'm not sure what's true. I don't recall if it's mentioned in the link, but the guy was living freely around Thailand while supposedly in jail, married a younger Thai girl and then murdered her and is now in prison for that. To give some perspective, this is Thailand's current Deputy Prime Minister. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 03:06
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^^^^ Bars are sketchy places. Only alcoholics and farang go there~~~ Really unfortunate to get gunned down like that and run over. I am kind of curious over what mishap? Refused a 3-some? Or just drunken alcoholic rage. Chair Huxtable posted:I've been endlessly curious about expat goons, and as luck would have it, will be spending the first weekend since I moved back to Bangkok actually here. You don't have PM? anyway to reach you with whatsapp or whatever chat program? caberham fucked around with this message at 04:02 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 03:59
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schweg posted:Anything to be sure to see or do? Yep, drink lots of Angkor and eat lots of BBQ in Siem Reap. SR is a very touristy town, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on who you're asking, but you may as well make the most of the touristy stuff while you're there. Go see an Apsara show, there are loads around to choose from. Temple restaurant has a free nightly one which is pretty decent, and the food there is not bad either. It's on the infamous Pub street, but the show is fairly early in the evening so it's not too bad. Speaking of Pub Street, the street itself has a bit of a bad reputation (for good reason), but you can actually find some cool little bars/restaurants in the surrounding alleyways. If you do get sick of the town (no idea how long you're there for), take a tuk tuk over to the little beach at the West Baray. It's a great place to go swimming in the lake, and it's pretty much only locals there, no tourists.
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Jan 23, 2013 05:43
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My boyfriend and I are hightailing it out of Vietnam during Tet. We are gonna be in HCMC from around 10am to 6pm-ish, hanging out until our flight leaves for Bangkok on February 4th. Love to meet up with someone for lunch. Also, we will be in Bangkok for probably a week before we head down to Kuala Lumpur. If anyone would like to hang out or would even want to join us traveling, let me know. We're slowly getting bored with each other's company, and desperately want to meet more foreigners who are traveling/living over here.
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Jan 23, 2013 06:56
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You can try to message RingoR and ReindeerF those guys are the resident BKK boys. Plus if you get alchohol poisoning ReindeerF can introduce some nice doctors for a finders fee.purity control posted:We're slowly getting bored with each other's company, and desperately want to meet more foreigners who are traveling/living over here.  Not good at allSorry if I sound nosy, but maybe you guys need some alone time on your own or whatever. Don't be like me, I got dumped after my 2.5 week trip 
caberham fucked around with this message at 07:14 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 06:59
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caberham posted:
Oh, I probably made it sound like it's bad. It's not, we just want to liven up our interactions with more foreigners. We are trying to establish some networks here, because we're committed to six months for work. We already have people we hang out with, but we just want to get to know more people. We can only play "Ticket to Ride" with the AIs on my iPhone before it gets too dull.  We're going to get a motorbike soon, and that will make us happier. You can only go so far on a fixie bike in this 85* heat before it gets too discouraging.And bummer about your dumping.  At least that was an opportunity to be forced to meet new people!
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Jan 23, 2013 07:10
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purity control posted:My boyfriend and I are hightailing it out of Vietnam during Tet. We are gonna be in HCMC from around 10am to 6pm-ish, hanging out until our flight leaves for Bangkok on February 4th. Love to meet up with someone for lunch. I should be available for lunch on Feb 4th, let me know.
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Jan 23, 2013 07:46
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It's fourteen degrees Fahrenheit in NYC and the wind is blowing. A Russian waiter walked past me and said "Beautiful! Just like Russia! Perestroika!" Little atoms of snow are flitting about. I hate every one of you horrible people.
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Jan 23, 2013 07:51
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Man this winter is so weird. We did have a cold snap of 12 degrees and a few homeless folk died But now there's another heat wave. It's 25 degrees Celsius (77 F). Where's my winter?
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Jan 23, 2013 07:54
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Senso posted:I should be available for lunch on Feb 4th, let me know. Awesome! How far are you from the airport? We can cab out and meet up with you somewhere, if you have the time.
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Jan 23, 2013 08:02
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purity control posted:If anyone would like to hang out or would even want to join us traveling, let me know. We're slowly getting bored with each other's company, and desperately want to meet more foreigners who are traveling/living over here.
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Jan 23, 2013 08:49
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purity control posted:Awesome! How far are you from the airport? We can cab out and meet up with you somewhere, if you have the time. I work in E-Town, quite close to the airport, so that's convenient. Email me at: sensoz at the gmails.
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Jan 23, 2013 09:14
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caberham posted:
My email is medeapoison at hotmail dot com. Drop me a line at that and I'll drop you my phone number or whatever.
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Jan 23, 2013 10:40
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npn posted:Sorry, I probably missed it but where are you based? My bad, I forgot to mention it. We're living in Nha Trang.
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Jan 23, 2013 10:49
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Did you hear that loud metallic clang? That was me breaking Kuala Lumpur metro. Just walked through the turnstiles and one arm fell right off. Everyone laughed.
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Jan 23, 2013 10:56
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purity control posted:My bad, I forgot to mention it. We're living in Nha Trang.
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Jan 23, 2013 11:14
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purity control posted:My bad, I forgot to mention it. We're living in Nha Trang. I might go to Nha Trang for a weekend in the near future. Going 3 days to Hue for Tet then I'm pretty much free, I can go wherever and I miss the beach.
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Jan 23, 2013 11:57
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Recommendations for places to stay in Phnom Penh? Preferably cheap, clean, double room, private bathroom. Or, alternatively, if we arrive at the airport in the afternoon without any accommodation booked, where should we go to start looking?
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Jan 23, 2013 12:23
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