It’s all about organ donation

Hello friends! I’m Sanjeev Nanda and I whole heartedly welcome the esteemed readers to my blog!

Last week, I had witnessed something so unusual that even after my constant trails, I’m not able to get over it. One of my friend’s sister, who was just 7 years old died just because she was suffering from lung cancer and her parents failed to manage a donor for her.

The moment I got to know that (Akriti, 7 yr old girl) was struggling between life and death, I tried my best to help her out but unfortunately…I couldn’t help her and all I could do was feel bad and regret that why we couldn’t save that pretty angel. The girl wanted to live but lack of awareness among our nation’s people pushed her to sleep eternally.

    

Well, this brings me to discuss each and every loophole about organ donation so that we can save more Akriti’s from dying for no reason.

Most stories end up with a full stop. They do have a happy beginning and a middle, and then, they have an end. For instance, you were born; you’ll live, laugh, cry, cherish your life, love, and will die one day. Or maybe you won’t. May be you’ll choose to begin a fresh chapter in someone’s life.

Trust me…millions of men, women and children die awaiting life-savior organ transplantation. They wait in hope, against hope, for that elusive liver, lung, pancreas that will put a full stop to thousands of people’s sufferings and will lease them a new ray of hope!

Organ donation will grant you freedom to stake your claim to immorality.

I’ve a lot more to add to add to this space about organ donation, but till then… stay hooked to Sanjeev Nanda’s blog!   

Top three tourist spots in Macau by Sanjeev Nanda

Hello friends! I am Sanjeev Nanda and I love travelling. Last month I visited Macau and this trip turned out to be a memorable one. Though this was a last minute vacation plan, I didn’t expected that this place will reward me with baggage full of memorable moments. My ten day long vacation were simply not enough to explore such a beautiful place.

 For those of you, who are planning to visit Macau for the very first time, I bet that you’ll end up being super confused about where you should visit and what all things you should begin with. Enlisted are the three best places that you include in your itinerary without any fail:

1.       Senado square: located at the heart of the town, you’ll never get lost in this popular spot. This is a cobble-stoned street packed with tourists and the locales. The old fortresses are built with perfection and each fort has a glimpse of Portugal touch in it. The entire place is surrounded by pastoral color neo-classical buildings that consistently creates harmonious atmosphere.

If you’ve been craving to spend some quality time in lap of nature then I’d recommend that this is the place to be. Here you’ll find anything and everything under the sun. I was really mesmerized with the Portuguese pavement and it reminded me of a picturesque street in Vigan.

2.       Ruins of the Saint Paul: this place was a façade of a beautiful church but unfortunately, it was destroyed by fire in the year 1600. Despite the fact that this place was destroyed, the ruins of Saint Paul is considered as one of the most important landmarks even today.

Presently, there is a myriad of eating joints by the church side so you can please your taste buds with tangy cuisines of the place.

3.       Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Center: no matter you’re travelling all one, with your friends or family, this place will has it all. The only single thing that you should keep in mind is that you should avoid this place if you have fear of heights. Also known as Macau Sky Tower, this splendid tourist spot offers a breathtaking bird's-eye sight of the entire city. This is one of the tallest towers in the whole world. If you want to add a glimpse of adventure in your trip, never miss an opportunity to try bungee jumping, Skywalk X and the skyjumping.

On and all, I just loved these three places and I have lot more to share with my esteemed readers. Till then keep browsing through Sanjeev Nanda travel stories!

Next stop, Kashmir with Sanjeev Nanda by Jaideep

I’ve always wanted to go to Kashmir, and this year, I finally checked it off the list. Thanks to my friend Sanjeev Nanda, and his gorgeous house in the heart of Pehalgam, Kashmir more than lived up to my expectations. Unending stretches of grassy hills, often covered with patches of snow – yes, even in july – Pehalgam was a visual treat.

Ofcourse, as a tourist, I visited the Betaab Valley, which was covered in dense green vegetation. Sanjeev Nanda insisted one day, on taking me horse riding, across the mountains, and another day arranged a rather long trek, which was interesting because we encountered the most beautiful heard of goats – is it any wonder Pehalgam is called the Valley of Shepherds!

Besides the routine tourist activities, Kashmir is in general, as peaceful and serene as I had hoped – a perfect getaway if you’re coming from a busy metropolitan! If you haven’t already been there, I would suggest you cancel your tickets to Goa or London and get on a plane to this wintery wonderland – you won’t regret it! 

My Spain escapade - Introduction to destinations visited in spectacular Spain by Sanjeev Nanda

We see bookstores overflow with journals, magazines, and titles of places one ought to visit before we die; we must also understand that merely reading such facts and experiencing it in real are completely different entities. Don’t travel itineraries of ‘things to do’ and ‘places to visit’ excite you enough, even before you take the ultimate trip to your desired destination?

We are inundated with a cottage industry of websites popping up ever so rapidly each day that it has made our lives easier to plan our trip and live that ultimate dream that would often just remain a desire in our hearts.

Personally and as a travel enthusiast, I have had the opportunity to exchange ideas with a diverse lot of people I have met along my journeys, whether it is about learning a language or getting a tattoo made. This has definitely been a positive addition to my travel experience and has exposed me to certain facts that I was never aware of.

From my Spectacular Spain travel diary - the Palacio Real, Pamplona, the Beach of La Concha, the Aqueduct of Segovia, Cuenca, Ibiza, the Sagrada Familia, El Escorial, the Mezquita of Cordoba, and the Alhambra; and other places I have had the opportunity to visit, the experience was truly inspiring and worth my time.

Hence, I do urge all just to venture on and fulfill that long awaited dream of traveling to your favoured destination. Whether you visit one or a couple of these destinations listed in my blog, I do ensure that your life will be further enriched by the travel experience! So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and set on that road trip or travel to your favorite destinations and live your dream of being a vagabond solo traveler like me!

Do look out for my articles on my trip to the top tourist attractions in Spain by Sanjeev Nanda!

Image credit: IES Abroad (dot) org

Chandigarh – By Sanjeev Nanda

After Manali, I wanted to visit Chandigarh, one of the most planned cities in India. The city mesmerizes you with its simplicity as well as well as modernism. The city has turned itself around in the past few years. Chandigarh boasts of modern architecture and natural beauty both at the same time.

If you love to shop, the sector 17 market in Chandigarh will be your dream come true. From elite brand stores to restaurants that sell all kinds of cuisines, the market has so much to offer. The market is also dotted with fountains, sculptures and trees thus making your whole shopping experience all the more beautiful.

You can also visit the Sukhna Lake, the most famous man-made water body in Chandigarh. Every day numerous tourists as well as locals visit the place, sometimes to escape from the scorching heat, and sometimes just to spend some quality family time.

The next place I absolutely love and would suggest every traveler visits is the Rock Garden. The garden is one of its kind and has structures made out of waste materials. From broken bangles to nails, you will find beautiful pieces of art with all these components. There is a very nominal entry fee you would have to pay, but it is going to be worth every penny.

This season, plan a trip to Chandigarh and witness some of the best infrastructures.

Hope you enjoy your Chandigarh trip as much as I did. Keep reading for more Sanjeev Nanda tales.

Exploring Monasteries on my Day 2 in Manali – By Sanjeev Nanda

My second day in Manali, started as a lazy one. Curled up in my blanket with temperature outside dropping, though I wanted to sleep all day, I also didn’t want to miss the picturesque views the place had to offer. 

My second day at this hill station began with a trip to the famous Tibetan Monasteries. The existence of several monasteries was evident with the major population being Tibetans. These monasteries preserve the culture literature and the handicrafts of the people of Tibet and hence are of high significance to the community. 

The Gadhan Thekchoking Gompa, situated near the Mall in Manali, is a monastery run by the local people with the help of the funds they gather through donations. The monastery sells handicrafts of Tibetan artistry and carpets that are beautifully woven. The monastery was constructed in the year 1969 and it represents the Tibetan style of architecture with Lord Buddha statue as its presiding deity.

All the Lamas at these monasteries are trained as preachers and performers of religious rites. The Gadhan Thekchoking Gompa monastery also runs a Thanka school of arts as well as a carpet-weaving centre hence preserving the art.

The next monastery I visited was the Himalayan Nyingamapa Gompa, situated near the market. The architecture of this monastery is modern as compared to the Gadhan Thekchoking Gompa. The monastery is surrounded by beds of sunflowers and is a sight to behold when its premise is it lit up at night using light bulbs thus, adding serenity and charm to its overall presence. This monastery features a huge gold-faced statue of Lord Buddha.

The Tibetan monasteries use aromatic and fragrant incense sticks that are burnt throughout the day. The ambience is very peaceful and emanates an enchanting feel. These Tibetan monasteries are one of the chief tourist attractions of the hill station and experience massive tourist footfall all-year-round.

Look out for more of Sanjeev Nanda’s travel stories to the Hill Stations of India!

Manali Magic! Day 1 – By Sanjeev Nanda

A 40-km drive from Kullu, north of Himachal Pradesh, India is Manali. It nestles on the edge of a valley through which the National Highway runs leading you to Leh, another stunning destination to visit in India.

The journey had just begun. It was during the month of January and the moment I arrived, I was welcomed with the sting of the freezing cold of Manali. The first thing I did once I set foot was to try the local specialty, flavored hot tea and delectable snacks to go with it were refreshing!

The landscape of Manali is breathtaking! The first thing I noticed was the series of undulating landscape, valleys, and mountain ranges that surrounds this hill station. The drive was worth every moment of my time and I would recommend a road trip versus taking a rail. You will instantly notice its well-defined snow-capped peaks, the stunning Beas River, clear as crystal, meandering through the crevice.

Along the River, you will notice thick deodar and pine trees abound with greenery, pockets of small fields and fruit orchards that truly pull you closer to nature. Manali is a trekker’s delight, the routes through Lahaul-Spiti, Bara Bhangal in Kangra, and Zanskar ranges, are worth exploring. Whether it is the ancient Temples, picturesque sightseeing spots, and adventure undertakings, Manali has loads to keep you well occupied.

Manali is indeed the land of snow, mist, tranquility and serene beauty. The wonderful sight of the snow-capped mountains adding a stunning backdrop to the quaint town is a mesmerizing sight. Clouds making their way through the cliffs and gorges, and the cascading River Beas gushing forth to announce its arrival is captivating and a photographer’s delight!

I stayed at a guest house with no fixed itinerary in my pocket. All I had was my backpack and a mind filled with the list of adventures to look forth to. Early morning I ventured to view the stunning Snow Point site near Kothi, a place extensively used by Bollywood to scene their songs. It was a sight to behold. The white-laden landscape was captivating and all I could think was to catch hold of a ski suit, related gadgets and ski around.

After a wonderful skiing session over the slopes of Manali, I proceeded to the Manali Club House to relish some of the best Indian recipes. The food instantly captured the essence of India. It brought in loads of warmth and a feel of rejuvenation. I got back to the guest house with a sense of accomplishment that my first day in Manali was indeed a pleasurable one.