I am an optometrist by profession and have to deal with several patients who suffer from different kinds of problems with their eyes. It is very important to remember that eyes are the most important gift from God and should not be taken lightly. Believe me, a world without eyesight is not a good thing at all.

In the modern world, there are many practices and activities that help the eyes, ultimately deriving you proper eyesight. If you think that there is nothing you can do to protect your eyes and maintain good eyesight, you are wrong. I have prepared the following article so that you have a sound knowledge of what to do to keep your eyes in good condition.

Eating good food is certainly the first thing that one needs to do. There are nutrients like lutein, vitamins E and C, omega-3 fatty acids and zinc, which help getting rid of problems associated with eyesight. These are generally found in tuna, salmon, spinach, collards, eggs, beans, nuts, oranges, etc.

Smoking is another practice which is extremely responsible for cataract, macular degeneration and damage to the optic nerve. I would also recommend you to wear sunglasses whenever you are outside. These will not only protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays but also resist dirt, dust and heat of smoke exhausted by automobiles.

Using safety eyewear is another useful tip for taking good care of your eyesight. There are gears like protective goggles or safety glasses, which should be worn by people having to deal with airborne or hazardous materials. You may also see sportspersons playing lacrosse, racquetball, ice hockey or cricket wearing eye protection like helmets, masks or goggles with special polycarbonate lenses.

People working in IT firms have to stare at the computers for hours and tend to damage their eyes in the process. This is one of the most common reasons for eyesight problems like headaches, blurry vision, shoulder and back pain, dry eyes and eyestrain in recent times.  It is advisable to rest your eyes after every 20 minutes and look away for around 20 seconds. Staying in touch with your eye doctor and performing eye exams regularly is another vital step for maintaining good eyesight.

After witnessing the splendor and beauty of various temples and palaces of Thailand, it was time for us to choose our last tourist attraction in the Kingdom of Thailand. We decided to visit the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which is a sacred temple, located in the Chiang Mai province of Thailand. This Thera Wat of Thailand is often colloquially referred to as the Doi Suthep after the name of the mountain on which this ancient temple is located. It is a very sanctimonious site for majority of the Thai citizens.

This pious site of worship is located at a distance of merely 9.3 miles from the Chiang Mai City of Thailand. Apart from its relevance as a place of devotion, the view from this temple is also breathtaking. This temple or Wat is a very prominent tourist attraction of the city and is easily commutable via public transport from the Chiang Mai Road. The temple is located at a considerable height and one can reach the Wat Phra That after climbing up 309 steps from the car parking at the base of the Doi Suthep Mountain. The pagodas can also be reached by trams that take visitors up hill.

The visitors are required to be appropriately dressed in the temple premises. The footwears are not allowed inside the temple grounds. The copper plated chedi forms the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The site incorporates statues, pagodas, bells, shrines and a museum as well. The Wat or temple comprises of aspects drawn from both Hinduism, as well as Buddhism. The existence of perfect harmony between the two religions can be seen by the coexistence of a statue of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu god and a model of the emerald Buddha in the temple.

The international Buddhism centre conducts a number of religious programs for visitors within the compound of monastery. Truly this site is a place for devotion and spirituality. The calmness and positive energies circulating in the temple confines relaxes the mind as well as soul. Finally, we headed towards our hotel as it was time for our flight. The visit to Thailand was truly a memorable experience for us.

Shrimp Pad Thai : My love towards cooking is what makes me taste newer dish every time I travel to new places. I happened to visit a Thai restaurant and immediately fell in love with the aroma of a dish called Shrimp Pad. The waiter said it is the best low-caloric protein rich food in Thai.

The best feature about this hotel is its location. It is a beautiful resort located in close proximity to major tourist attractions in the city such as the Mall, Asiatique, Wat Yan Nawa, Tha Phra, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, etc. The hotel staff is quite friendly and courteous. This resort also incorporates a snack bar, coffee shop and lounges to satiate the appetite of guests. The poolside bar and the swim-up bar are the main attractions of the resort, where hotel clients hang out in the afternoons or evenings for drinks.

The room service offered by the Anantara resort is excellent and is available 24 hours a day. The resort restaurant serves its patrons with hot or cold buffet breakfasts every morning on payment of a nominal surcharge. There is proper arrangement for the recreation of the hotel guests. The resort offers an outdoor swimming pool along with a children’s pool for kids. Other amenities for recreation include outdoor tennis court, the lazy river and a health club.

The full-service spa facility of the resort offers body treatments, massages, beauty services such as facials, etc. This property also incorporates a fully equipped conference room, which offers meeting and conference facilities to its business clients any time.

The limo or car service offered by the Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa adds to its credentials. The free Wi-Fi is also offered by this resort. Moreover, the resort serves its guests with laundry facilities such as the helpdesk, complimentary valet parking, children’s club, travel desk, etc. For those who smoke, the hotel also has designated areas where they can smoke freely.

Railay Beach Thailand : Beaches are one stop that brings you close to tranquility and one such beach is the Railay Beach. This clean beach with a clean water and soft sand really melted my heart. There are very few beach restaurants but the peace of mind you experience is just unbelievable. I am an adventurous person, so rock climbing was the one which won my heart.

I should admit that our stay in Thailand had so far been inspiring with the amazing tourist destination such as the Sanctuary of Truth. With fond memories of the place, we traveled to our next destination, which was the Tiger Cave Temple of Thailand. It is an ancient Buddhist temple and stands tall among the most sacred sites of the country. This temple is situated at the North-eastern part of Krabi province of Thailand and is renowned for its spiritual, as well as historic significance.

As I reached the Tiger Cave Temple, I could easily guess that it has been named after the tiger paw prints, which are inscribed in the cave. The temple also houses tall statues of Buddha and one can reach the pious site by climbing a strenuous flight of stairs, which lead to the summit where the temple is located. The pathway to the Tiger Cave Temple is also very beautiful and the hard work is worthwhile due to the panoramic view, which can be experienced from the apex.

The temple also holds great historic significance as it dates back to the year 1975. The foundation of this temple was laid when a famous Vipassana monk called Jumnean Seelasettho meditated under this particular cave. During his meditation, the monk saw tigers roaming around inside the cave. Due to this experience, the temple was named as Wat Tham Suea. According to ancient legends a huge tiger used to roam around the cave and hence, the paw prints of the tiger engraved on the cave are manifestations of these beliefs.

The top of the temple can be reached after climbing a total of 1237 stairs, which is quite a tedious task. Some of these stairs are even as high as a foot. The temple is located at a height of 278 meters. There is another fleet of stairs that comprise of 184 steps and leads to the foot hills region, where the monks reside in the caves.

One should be a bit careful about the monkeys who are seen roaming around the caves and stairs. A few visitors have been reported to be attacked by monkeys roaming in the premises. Hence, the visit to the Tiger Cave temple was quite a thrilling and at the same time peaceful experience amidst the natural beauty of the tropical rain forests of the Kiriwong Valley.

Jim Thompson House : If you want to explore some superb old Thai structures then Jim Thompson House is the place you should visit. When I entered I was taken aback with the beautiful architectures and the collection of antiques that were treasured by Mr. Thompson himself. The wall hangings, ancient murals and the history of Silk blew my mind. Being a museum explorer I just loved this place. 

Life is a mysterious experience. It is in every human being’s life that a time comes when he or she takes stock of how the world has changed because of their presence in it. It is my firm belief that the sanctity of life demands that every human life must have the power to influence at least one other life. A lonely life lived in anonymity is not a life worth living.

Men and women are not a mere bag of flesh filled with egos; they are a manifestation of millions of aspirations and infinite thoughts. The entire universe builds around the individual but is like a big tree, all branches have a former connection. We all have the same origins but different perspective.

The significance of human life can be understood only when one is ready to devote themselves to their passions. Men and women of the pre industrialised and pre political and pre divided world had only the simplest of needs but the biggest of dreams. The people of Thailand have been devoted to Buddhism for centuries and Buddhism preaches the biggest passion of all, the driving force of life and central cog wheel of existence love. The Sanctuary of Truth is a symbol of years of relentless meditation, though and discovery that gathered the immense treasures are today imbibed in the Buddhist and Hindu philosophies.

The people of both these religions have lived through a world, where men lived and died for fellow men and through times when men have killed and lived at the expense of fellow men. The sanctuary of truth preserves the subtle and delicate philosophies and the tenderest of emotions that make us human. It has preached over the years that existence is not a race, men do not live at the expense of other beings; the world is based on the critical balance of co-existence and shared responsibility.

My trip to Thailand was going to come to an end and the solitude of introspection has allowed me come at peace with myself. It is very important for people to once in a while come to places like the sanctuary of truth in Pattaya, Thailand if they wish to realise the true meaning of a cherished life.