Confused with mixed signals ?

Ok I went on holiday to a foreign country, a non-English speaking country. I went to a restaurant and one of the waiters heard me speaking and came to me and asked if I am English and said yes, we got talking (it was quiet with very few people there so he had time to talk with me) and we really got into good conversation.
I felt a connection, for the rest of my time on holiday I went back there every evening to see him, which he seemed pleased about, I wanted to ask him for contact details on the last day but I was too frightened and didn't want to seem too forward or give away that I like him "in that way" if he is not that way inclined.

Several months pass and I am in the same place, I love the restaurant so I go there to eat and maybe on the off-chance he still works there and I might see him. Guess what, he's there and he remembers me. We speak for ages during my time at the restaurant, and I find the courage to ask for his facebook profile - he gives it to me.
I add him later and we are talking on there, and he is sending me wink emoticons and blushing face emoticons after some sentences, not really I don't suppose the sort of thing you would send to another straight guy. I really start to get the impression we like each other, but I dare not to ask anything outright, just in case I am wrong. I tell him that I will miss him when I have gone back home, and he says he will miss me too and sends a sad face emoticon and smiley one, again very suggestive but of course nothing to say he is not just being friendly and that there is nothing else to it.

My last day and I message him to say I am going home today and would like to come back to the restaurant to see him and say goodbye. he says that is really nice and he is waiting for me. When I get there he has my table already set up for me with fresh bread already cut. I feel so touched. I order, eat and talk to him most of the time I am there and when I am ready to go, he comes outside with me to smoke a cigarette. We talk and after he is finished smoking he says I must message him the next time that I come and he put his arms around me and gives me a big hug, to which I of course respond to and hug him back.

Well I am left feeling so sure that there is something between us going on, some kind of connection or something, I feel something exists in some form, it left me feeling really good and on an extreme high. We agree that I will return in the summer and we will meet up outside of the restaurant, like to go out and have a good time.

When I returned home I messaged him and we have spoke every day since. However I am always the one initiating contact, and although it may seem an odd observation, the emoticons have all stopped completely, whereas before they were after almost everything he said; also his tone seems different, like he really isn't interested to talk. He most of the time will respond to me if I message him but it just seems like a different person to how he was before. He also says sometimes "cannot talk, I am busy" or "customers just came in, will message you later" and then he never does message me later.

I am very confused and I am also hurting. I thought perhaps something existed between us that I could progress further with, but it seems I was wrong all along? Maybe there never was any interest or anything "like that" on his part, and it was me seeing things that were not there. Opinions and what to do would be greatly appreciated. It seems my signals were all false ones.