Just a week left and I can't help thinking about getting home, and the future after the summer.

I had a great time in the scenic Perhentian Islands in Malaysia, eventually doing lots of scuba diving including the Advanced Open Water course, diving at a sunken wreck / at night / with turtles, and in generally beautiful locations of live hard and soft corals, sea fans, nudibranch, and more new fish than you can shake a stick at.
Also meeting lots of great people - not limited to a broad european mix, with lots of swedes, austrian, french and italian, but also estonian, iranian and kenyan and even some students from kazakstan.

After accidently on purpose staying an extra couple of days, i set off towards Koh Phangen in Thailand. This was a longggg journey taking 3 days, 2 ferries, 4 buses and a train, so i took it easy with hotels in between.
Unfortunately on the last bus leg of the journey, the only part not on proper public transport, i fell foul to an apparently common episode - my rucksack under the bus was ransacked, being stolen some clothes, my good knife, and about $50 in various different currencies which was souvenir money for me. And a towel. Really??
Nothing important then, but painfully galling, especially my Darlington football shirt which is probably now irreplaceable since they just got relegated to the sunday league.
More so it has damaged my trust in people for the moment, worsened by all the touts everywhere when throughout this whole year and all the countries i've visited i've always felt safe and open.

Currently i'm staying at an eco volunteer project, where people exchange a few hours a day gardening etc for accomodation, run by Nico, an American guy who i met in California.
He is aiming to turn this big old hotel into a green, carbon neutral and profitable concern, as well as about 15 other projects on the island from promoting permaculture and composting to cleaning up small islands.

This island is famous for its drink and drug fuelled full moon beach parties but also has a large community of hippies, yoga studios, organic cafes, and various other spiritual new age stuff i can't quite fathom.
Despite people waxing lyrical about the place I'm not that inspired by the island to be honest, it seems a bit too focused on extracting tourist dollars. But maybe i'm just feeling cynical and close minded at the end of my trip.

So next is ferry/train to Bangkok, which i'm half dreading the chaos of, and then home sweet home.