Getting high at Mt. Lofty

In Adelaide, one really does not have to travel far to have fun. Mt. Lofty is only a 40-minute drive from the CBD and yet it presents a beautiful perspective of Adelaide--the highest one!

Yes, Mt. Lofty is the highest point where you can actually see the CBD. In fact, we were able to see the coast and the airport from that point.

It was not easy taking photos as I do not have my lens filter yet and it is still the height of winter here. I took photos of the very tame birds and some of the tourists.

 

 

It was also Steven's first time to be there so both of us were surprised that Mt. Lofty has a walking trail. We will definitely go back there when the weather is a bit warmer.

 

 

 

 

We also discovered this summit has a huge botanical garden. Despite the cold, a few of the plants were able to produce the most beautiful blooms and the most enticing scents. I was inspired to take a lot of photos in between bouts of drizzle.

You will see more Mt. Lofty photos here in spring!

Adelaide Birdies

We woke up with a frost today. I did not see it because I was too cold to even walk out of the apartment. Apparently, the temperature went down to 1 C. And this is how I currently look.

Luckily, I was able to photograph a few more birds in our local park a week ago. These are rainbow lorikeets, a flock of galahs, and a magpie.

 

 

 

Losing it

I arrived from our Manila vacation weighing around 72 kilograms. I really felt horrible because that was the heaviest I have ever been. I swore that I will be back to my Bangkok weight by next summer.

It is not easy losing weight here because I need to cook our food. Cooking Thai dishes is a challenge here because of the availability and the price of the ingredients. We even have to visit the shops at least twice a week.

Exercising is also a challenge because I do not have access to California Wow's numerous choices of cardio classes (i.e. Body Pump, jazz dance, pole dancing--yes pole dancing!). The equipment here (Adelaide City Council gym and Fitness First) are also inferior and outdated compared to the ones found in Manila and Bangkok. Again, I have to rely on myself when it comes to cardio exercises.

So this is the result of the hard work. I am now 68.2 kilos. My target is 65 kilos. I really hope I can reach this goal before summer comes.

No fountain of youth here.

Western tourists make fun of signs in Asia because they are either poorly translated or they are deliberately done to sound catchy. Though English is the official language here, Australia still uses it in an (uninentionally) funny way.

We pass by this sign every time we drive to the Barossa Valley. I wonder how long this sign and slogan will last.

I guess Peter Pan will look the other way.

Adelaide Botanic Garden

Winter is the best time to go to touristy places because there are only a few crazy people who would brave the low temperature and put up with the muddy ground. We have had so much rain the past year that nobody talks about water restriction anymore.

I am also having a break from work so it is the best time to visit places that I have never been to. Last weekend, Steven and I decided to visit the Adelaide Botanic Garden and here are the photos.

I hate the fact that Steven does not need to exert a lot of effort to look cute. Look at those eyes!

Closer to home

It has not been easy taking photos because of the weather. Our days in Adelaide have been cold, windy and wet so I am not going to risk ruining my new pink camera.

Many of the photos I have been taking are very close to where we live.