Woraburi hotel in Phuket

Here are a few shots from the hotel we are staying in.

Before Phuket

So, just before we left for Phuket, So Cal was hit with massive fires. It was pretty devastating...and still is. The aftermath is very awful. And, many homes were lost and even a few lives. We were forced to evacuate on Monday, so Sharee and I stayed in LA area for 3 days before we were allowed to head home. Here are some pics I shot on the drive through Camp Pendleton. It was pretty eerie and very depressing.

In Phuket.......

So, we landed in Phuket about 3 hours ago. It was a long day on planes and in taxis. Lots of sleeping...which was necessary since i am fighting a cold......well, Phuket is humid and there is lots going on. Lights everywhere and people strolling. We are staying at the Woraburi hotel overlooking the playing site. will post picture tomorrow.

Beaches of Brazil

so, today we visited Croco Beach. Best beach yet, I think. There was tons of beach and lots of swimming areas. Scott and I practiced our flip and dives, belly flops, and cart wheel entrances to the water. We had to return the buggy by noon, so after rolling over, opening the curtain and watching a few matches, we loaded up the buggy and headed out to use the last 2 hours of transportation we had......lots of fun...lots of sun! WE also had our authentic Acai smoothies!

FORTALEZA, BRAZIL

We are in Brazil. It is beautiful, sort of! And very hot and windy. But, it is a great place to be right now. We lost in the qualifier to Brazil (Agatha Shalyn). Tough draw for us. So we have been tourists for now 36 hours. We started off today watching game out our window. We are facing the courts on the 10th floor of the Flat Classics. Then, we started walking to find a taxi and go to the mercado. But, were stalled by the buggy we saw parked! We decided to walk inside the car rental store and ask how much to rent........So, YES, we rented a buggy! It is yellow and green, no top cover, and very loud. But, awesome! We drove to the indoor mall, then drove to the Mercado centraal. Lots of shopping once again. Tomorrow we look for a beach up the coast and get some tan. Ciao!

Fundable

For those that donated to fundable.com, the final day to raise funds was Saturday. And, unfortunately we did not hit our mark. We aimed pretty high. But, who shouldn't right? So, you will not be charged. If you are still interested in donating to the Philippine Volleyball team of Heidi Ilustre and Diane Pascua, please leave me a comment and I will let you know where to send the funds. At this point we have no support from the Philippine Volleyball Association, so we must raise money on our own. This is not easy task while also competing.

You can comment on this blog or email me at pascua77@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support.

Heading to BRAZIL

Long time since my last blog. That is because I have been at home recovering from the last 2 months of travel. It has been wonderful. I have also been preparing for the next event in Fortaleza, Brazil. I leave in 3 days. CAnnot wait. I am excited to play, but also to check out the Brazilian coastline. So, I will keep this updated while I am away.