What can I say about a beautiful place, Pulau Kecil is still beautiful. The people are crazy, just as they were the first time. The tourist industry is strange here, just as the first time. My job that I was coming back for, was gone, but in paradise what do you do? You stay. So I did. I got to stay with a fiend at a dive shop where I could help out with odd jobs like filling scuba diving tanks and cleaning. Nothing much, really just a lot of relaxation time and time to study my Malay and take guitar lessons. The days flew by here, and that is an understatement. I spent 1 month and well thats about all I did. I did complete my advanced scuba diving course which was great. My first dive after not having dived in two months was a dawn dive, with a new location and new equipment, a little nervous but watching the sunrise from under the ocean, watching the fish behavior change and having everything being illuminated around you in a world that was dark other than the light of your hand held flashlight…the nerves settle with amazement. That was the highlight of my dives, but the wreck dive was a close second, sharks, scorpion fish, crawl spaces…loved it! I need to spend some more time under the sea for sure. But time on that island, will make you crazy. I didn't have it in me. So one month later, I left.

Where did I go next, if you are reading this, you have seen on pictures on Facebook, form Kota Barhu. How I got to KB is a story to long, strange and personal for the blog but am I ever glad I landed at Timor guesthouse. I stayed/worked there for 1 ½ months. When I say work, I mean I swept the floors, changed the sheets, checked in a few guests and hung out A LOT. I never had brothers, but throughout my life I have had great guy friends who have stepped into that role. Timor GH gave me brothers in Asia, ones I will never forget (I have a scar to prove it :). I stayed for such a long time, watching, learning, cuh, being a food smuggler during Ramadan, etc… it was really hard to leave. But, as most people know, I was spending time in Malaysia, only to wait for Cambodia… Late September came and it was time. What a pit stop.