Gamboa Rainforest

BEFORE YOU GO:

1. Pack insect repellent
• It’s a rainforest so plenty of insects and bugs
2. Pre-arrange a taxi or some sort of transportation
• Its in the middle of nowhere so getting an Uber is non-existent unless you happen to catch one as they are dropping someone off
3. Check up on the road work
• Apparently on Tuesday/Thursdays from 9:30-12, they close the bridge to go to Gamboa so you either have to wait or come back
4. Book the activities in advance
•  We just showed up at the place and they only had two available activities in which we had to wait 3 hours at the hotel before 

TELEFICO

I’ve done the cable car experience a few times, most of them being in Colombia, both Cartagena and Bogota, but each time is totally different. This experience was in the rainforest so we were going through the jungle essentially. We could smell the trees, feel the breeze, and hear the birds chirping… no exaggeration. Along the way we even saw a white faced monkey, which was really cool. No pictures because those suckers are so fast. The cable car had six towers and two stops; at the last stop we hiked up a tower to get the view of the Panama Canal and entire rainforest. It was spectacular!!!! It was honestly so peaceful, besides the cranes here and there (they are doing construction work to expand the Canal).

When in Panama City, Panama

Panama Canal / Miraflores

So one of the most obvious tourist attractions you think of when it comes to Panama is the Panama canal. It’s popular for a reason. It’s a $15 cover charge that allows you to visit the canal, museum, watch the videos, and visit the aquarium. It was pretty cool, not going to lie. I had seen pictures before and it wasn’t too impressive for me, but actually going there and visiting it first hand was unbelievable. As you look onto the canal and see the ships passing, there’s a woman that’s explaining the history behind the canal. It was very interesting to learn the history because it just added more sentimental value to the attraction. We got really lucky with timing, as we were able to see the last ship pass through for the day. Security was high, there were officials everywhere signaling other workers, and commotion in general. It wasn’t hectic in the sense that it was overwhelming, but just a lot going on to prepare for the ships passing.

Being the tourist that I am, we went to all viewing levels to take pictures. I would say the lowest level was the best for photos, but the top was the best in terms of view.
In the museum portion of the attraction, they had this monitor that determined the percentage of water in your body. Not exactly sure how they managed to calculate this, but the person stood in this machine and typed in information about themselves and a number would pop up. I got 64% of body water, which I was impressed with as I barely drink water :D

Casco Viejo

DEFINITELY A MUST SEE. If you are in panama for one day, this is something you should do!!! I think the best time to go is around 30-45 minutes before sunset so you can see everything in the day and night time. The area is filled with churches, antique buildings, fish markets, narrow cobblestone streets, and some of the best restaurants ever. Everything at night was lit up, they had horse carriage rides, and it was just packed. There was a soccer game on that night so most of the bars were completely full and rowdy, but it added to the overall environment.

We ate at this restaurant called Tantalo, it was rated one of the best restaurants in the area. AMAZING. It was fairly busy so we had to sit at the bar; we didn’t mind because usually the service is better and quicker. The food was soooo good, I kind of wished we went at the start of our trip just so we could go back again :P

**NOTE!!^^ I did not take these pictures in Casco Viejo, I got them from online!! These ones were way better than the ones I attempted to take!!!

Eye Care for India

Hey everyone! Just created this GoFundMe page about raising money in India for the blind and visually impaired! I hope you all can go check it out :)

For just $20, a person in India can get cataract surgery.

For $500, about 450-700 patients can get eye examinations, treated with medication, get educational kits, and/or get same day cataract surgery.

CLICK BELOW

EYE CARE FOR INDIA

India Day

February 25th, 2017.

The Indian American Chamber of Commerce has planned the 5th annual India day celebration with the Orlando Magic. The event includes traditional dances and food, fun activities, henna and sari stations, as well as a special appearance from an indian actress, Shilpa Shetty, which I got to meet.
This was my first time attending this event so I didn't know what exactly to expect. My cousins had attended before and told me it was fun, but I wasn't all that excited. It wasn't until I was on my way to the event that it hit me that I was actually going to meet a famous actress, someone who I have watched on tv and idolized as a kid. The anticipation slowly built up and I actually got a little nervous just thinking about it. Some of my family and friends attended the meet and greet with Shilpa and had the opportunity to take a picture with her! I was actually amazed about how down to earth, and funny she is. She answered the interviewers questions so genuinely and it made me want to get more involved and follow her on social media (instagram and youtube channel).

GAME TIME.

My cousin was one of the sponsors of the event so he was able to get two tickets to high-five the Orlando Magic players as they were introduced at the beginning of the game and he gave them to my brother and I. It was one of the coolest experinces ever!!! We were able to be on court, walk around, wave to the players as well as high-five them. I knew basketball players were obviously tall, but when you're right next to them, thats when you really realize. I was looking up the entire time, just hoping not to trip and fall! Overall the whole thing was about 20 minutes long... probably the only 20 minutes of fame i'm ever going to get :P

Late post: Basket Brigade

Basket Brigade: volunteers donate gift baskets of food for a thanksgiving feast to needy families around the world. à a small act of kindness

The SECRET To LIFE Is GIVING 

My family and I have been doing basket brigade over the years in both, England and The United States. It all started with us attending an Anthony Robbins’ seminar, Unleash the Power Within in the 90’s. Anthony Robbins’ communicated an anecdote to the audience about his very first time he was introduced to basket brigade. He shared the amount of pleasure he got from this experience, and decided to make it an annual tradition. From this story, my family and I decided to incorporate this practice in our lives. My parents thought it would be wise to start my brother and I off early giving back to the community (I was 8 and my brother was 10). They were right, ever since then, we have been actively participating in basket brigades.

A few days before thanksgiving

This year for thanksgiving, my family and I attended a basket brigade that was hosted by La Rosa Realty. Families within the business, community, and city came out and helped deliver baskets. There were over 320 baskets that were made by the various families that included a food for a thanksgiving dinner, a gift-card to the grocery store for a turkey, and a kind note. My brother, mum and I were in charge of delivering 10 baskets to homes in the Central Florida area.

Out of the 10 houses that we delivered to, 3 of the families weren’t there so we either gave the baskets to their neighbors to give to them or gave it to a different family in the same neighborhood. Most of the families that did answer the door were so shocked and confused as to what was happening. We wished them a Happy Thanksgiving, and told them that this basket was a gift from a friend, and hope that one day they will be able to pay it forward.

I distinctly remember one family that we gave the basket to; the whole family came to the door (4 kids and a mother). The kids had a huge smile on their face when they saw the food, and there were tears in the mother’s eye knowing that she would be able to provide her family a thanksgiving meal. She couldn’t stop thanking us and kept saying, “bless you”. This house alone was enough to remind me the importance of giving back.
I am so happy that every year, I am blessed to volunteer, and give back to the community. It’s the same things in life that make the biggest difference.

London Bag Drop

What's a better way to spend your Near Year's day than to volunteer and deliver bags to the homeless? Making a difference early on is the best way to start the new year.
This year it was my cousins turn to host the event, so she gathered the essentials and spread the word to her friends and family. About 38 bags were made and delivered to the homeless men and woman around London. The bags consisted of gloves, underwear, toothbrush, toothpaste, hats, water and other essentials, as well as lunch and coffee.
It was honestly such a humbling experience. As we gave people the bags and food, alot of them were so thankful and some even shared some of their stories with us. Some of the people returned some of the essentials back to us and said they didn't need it. For me, this was absolutely shocking to see. I would have thought they would be greedy, and take everything, but they simply said "i won't be needing or using this, so you can give it to someone who might like it."

I feel as though homeless people have such a bad reputation. Don't get me wrong, i'm sure there are people who aren't nice, and are greedy, but the ones we encountered were just so grateful that we were doing this, especially when it was about 30 degrees outside. I know if I was in their position, I would want everything and would be completely cranky.

About an hour into the bag drop, it started raining... not drizzling, but down pouring. I was miserable. I was honestly only thinking about how I was going to be home in a few hours and get to change into my pajamas. It crossed my mind, that these people on the streets couldn't do anything, but cope with what they had in the rain and cold weather. I got quite emotional thinking about it because they really have no choice, but to make the best of what they had, which wasn't much. I'm glad that my family and I were able to help them, not necessarily give them money, but provide them with the basics necessities.

Canada

Every year we go to the tennis tournament, Rogers Cup, in Toronto, Canada. This year my parents and I were planning to watch the men’s competition for the entire week. We flew into Ohio and then drove to Toronto (longest drive of our life) haha. None of us are big on driving, so those 6 hours were torture for all of us, especially my dad since he was the one stuck driving.

The best day out of the trip happened on the first day. My dad had planned for Richard Branson to come to the tournament, play some tennis, and do a coin flip. I had never met him before so I was super excited. We picked him up from the airport and went straight to the Aviva center, where the tournament was being held. I was low key nervous because Branson is legendary and I was standing right next to him. Not only was it Richard Branson but also Tim, the Queen of England’s doctor!!!! They were both so nice and down to earth. 

While being at the tennis tournament, I was going crazy because so many great people surrounded me. The tennis players wanted to meet Richard, and I wanted to meet the tennis players. It was really cool to be walking around the tournament knowing I was with the elite of the elite haha, but I kept my cool. I did manage to squeeze in a hand shake with Novak Djokovic

Other highlights:

-       - Watched the tennis matches from the players lounge

-      -  Cheerleading for Richard Branson as he hit with Milos (Canadian player)

-      -  Richard trying to find me a husband

-      -  Meeting the Bryan brothers (#1 doubles players in the World)