A cheap pair of binoculars from the ground will show you if the cap sits flush on all four sides of the flue tile. If you see a sliver of daylight between the cap and the tile, or the cap looks tilted, that gap is your problem without ever touching the ladder. Also check the cap right after a windy day, since a loose cap will shift and the gap will look worse than it did on a calm morning.

Ever noticed how the visa run thing works like a gym membership you keep paying for but never use? People build their whole schedule around these trips because the stress makes them feel like they're being productive, when really they're just spinning their wheels. I knew a guy in Da Nang who had a spreadsheet tracking every border option within 500km, and he spent more time planning runs than actually enjoying Vietnam. Meanwhile the dudes who just hop to Malaysia or do a quick land crossing when needed are chilling at the beach. The whole "visa run" culture gets passed around in hostels like some kind of badge of honor, but it's mostly just guys copying what the last guy did without checking if the rules even require it. Your Irish buddy basically proved that by accident.