12 Feb 2008 : I arrived right after midnight and checked into the Expat Hotel, which is located close to the action on Bangla Road. I'm expecting my cousin Mike to arrive in about 14 hours. Right around the time Mike is supposed to arrive, I received a text msg from him saying that he'll be a day late due to his great itinerary reading abilities... 13 Feb: Mike arrives in the evening and we immediately head out for dinner. We grab an introductory drink afterwards to begin our acclimation to Bangla Road. 14 Feb: Valentine's Day, which is celebrated in Phuket (a fact of which I was unaware). 15 Feb - 17 Feb: wake up, eat, go the beach, go to the pool, get a massage, eat, drink on Bangla, sleep -- and repeat.
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