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[UNF]

I distrusted my own ears, he's gone. When i came to Kunming, i knew Arun from my friend. He was a nice guy and fun, he told me he enjoyed to stay in Kunming but he would move to Dali to live, this is also a nice place. God bless him. He'll be alive in our heart. Deepest sympathize to his family.

[UNF]

I know Arun Veembur as an oddball with soiled pants folded half way up to his knees, smiling a full metal brace smile, riding his beloved RD350, with his school bag trailing behind him, half open and revealing a tiffin box filled with lemon rice, his mum had made so lovingly for him. He could practically strike a conversation with anybody he met. And had a famous appetite for adventure and misadventure alike. It's terribly sad... all that has happened. But I'm sure he's in some happy place, writing another instant classic limerick or two.

[UNF]

Arun Veembur was full of passion for life and all it had to offer, the Ledo-Kunming road and the Flying Tigers was part of this passion, to tell the story of unknown heros and a part of history forgoten.

Arun and I flew tandem at Xi Shan, actualy the first passenger ever to soar along the sheer cliffs, it was peaceful.

This was a very special moment for us and I will never forget it
To me Arun is imortalized within Xi Shan ....I miss you already Arun..bye.

Please forgive me if I've said anything that might cause further grief or pain to people. It's been hard getting the news but I am fully aware that I am not the only one grieving but I feel I had to be honest about how I feel. As much as it might hurt we will have to face the facts to avoid anyone else going through this pain.

Arun was one of my best friends. I came to China because Arun had made it his home. To say Arun loved Yunnan was putting it mildly. He tried his best to convince me to stay and I nearly relented. While I know the rescue team tried their best I can't help but feel a little frustrated at the way things worked out.

He was alive till (around 10am I believe) the next day on his phone but they couldn't locate him. I and a friend of ours had told him plenty about the path as we have both done the trek solo before. But Arun tried a short cut on his way back. I guess it was inevitable but I can't help but wish things worked out differently. Also people who did know that Arun was going for the trek and knew the path he could have taken weren't contacted. To be fair no one knew and Arun didn't mention the friend either while trying to guide rescuers to where he was.

My point being,

Chris and others, if you ever work in/around Dali or anywhere else please do try and get people to train and think more about rescue work. There needs to be a community of people who have the physical stamina and intelligence to get involved in rescue work.

Arun's accident came at a time no one was prepared, communication was poorly handled (I understand only 8 people went on the first rescue team) and no one really knew what to do. We owe it to Arun to make sure this never happens again.

Having said that I still do believe everyone tried their best and no one should feel any sort of overriding guilt or blame for what happened. But to prepare to make sure it doesn't happen again. We all loved our little oddball of a friend and we will miss him much.

[UNF]

Can't believe he's gone. He was my junior in college in Bangalore.

One fine summer holiday, without much persuasion, he came with me to my place in Assam. And just pass my house, ran the Ledo-Kunming road. He saw a road sign saying Kunming, i forget how many kilometers. Think my mom gave him a book about its construction during the IInd World War. And the idea of going to Kunming was something he fell in love with more than 2 years before he finally managed to make a move. He talked about it constantly.

In the meantime, to gather money etc he picked up a job and I saw him getting thoroughly bored.

But he finally did manage to reach Kunming. And I am so glad that he did.

I knew he loved that place, and even though so far from here, for so long, he will still be sorely missed by all of us here.

And my regards and gratitudes to everybody in China who took him to heart.

I had the honor and the pleasure to know Arun Veembur and I was very sorry to hear about his passing away. I had the greatest respect for him and will miss him.

[UNF]

I met Arun when he first arrived in Kunming, telling stories of his overland trip across Burma on the roof terrace of the Hump. He said he didn't know how long he'd stay in Kunming - probably a few weeks. We became fairly close, and I watched him fall in love with Yunnan. He stayed long after I left. The happenstance of him even being in Yunnan - and his willingness, like the best travelers, to accept unplanned serendipity - is why his death seems so cruel to me. All those chance encounters that seemed so fundamentally right have led to this. Senseless.

I take heart in the fact that he was extremely happy in Yunnan, at least when I knew him. That's something.

Someone should bury a Tigers' propeller blade on that mountain.

Will miss your wit, Arun.

I won't say any more that danmairen, I feel the same way. Arun was so full of life, I can't believe he's gone. I will miss him very much.

Please keep us updated on any arrangements or events that we can participate in to say our goodbyes and remember the good times we had with Arun.

Condolences to all his friends and family

I used to hang out with Arun often at the KM Hump bar. I was looking forward to seeing him again in Dali in a couple of weeks when I go back to get my visa renewed. He was a super cool guy and will surely be missed by all who knew him.

Namaste Brother Arun.

Arun was the nicest guy. His often weird sense of humour made me laugh many a times down at the Hump. Last time I saw the lad must have been several months back doing his horrible but funny Charlie Chaplin impersonation. I can't believe he is dead tbh. A reminder to us all that life can be taken away so swiftly and unfairly.
I'll miss you Arun as I suspect all people who knew you will.

[UNF]

Just started to get to know you.

RIP Arun

[UNF]

Probably around 10,000yuan(including everything), if you want to have a baby in Kunming with high standard service.

'Nope' has a point. But I hope that the recent crackdown on corruption will deter too many new villas being built (There will be some, of course).

If not, perhaps, the arrival of the next revolution will arrive before we originally imagined.

[UNF]

indeed the lake wouldn't be such a disaster had the local officials done something about it nearly a decade ago. the lake is so horribly polluted you'd have to imagine it would take years, if not decades to recuperate. too little, too late.