Al Ma'ather Memorial Cave Park

Just when I thought I would be able to fulfill the promise I made to myself last week, I failed again. I promised myself that I would exercise last week for at least 15 minutes everyday and would not eat dinner when I arrive from work at 10:30 pm. But lack of motivation and too much chores at home and tasks at work prevented me from shedding off those unwanted fats.

I gained so much weight when I arrived here in Riyadh and I don't like what it did to my face. I am genetically predisposed to double chin so I tend to shy away from camera shots of friends when that unwanted body part appears. That explains why I don’t post many photos of myself lately, except those that caught me in really good angles.

As much as I want to run like what I did back in the Philippines, I cannot do that anymore here, unless I enroll in a gym – which is expensive and doesn't fit in my schedule. I haven't seen any women here donned in their abaya, running on pathways designated for walking or biking, and braving the glance and attention of other people. It is a very rare sight here. I can do brisk walking at the nearest hospital compound but who would bring me there? Fred leaves at 8 am and at night, I arrive from work past 10. Already too late for any late night activities. We can only go to those places on Friday afternoons. Just like what we did a few weeks ago.

You get a good view of the city on that fortress which I believe was built for fun and picture taking!

We went to Al Ma'ather Memorial Cave Park for a short get-together with my female friends. Fred just brought us there and left to pick us up after three hours.The park is located within the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, one of the leading hospitals here in Riyadh. We paid SR4 each. Kids are free-of-charge.

These are some of the rock formations there. I didn't see the cave, actually.
Or maybe, I was too preoccupied with looking after the kids while taking pics with my friends.

And there she goes. Busy playing with the sand and posing for pics when asked.

We laid down our picnic blankets, ate and drank some, talked and got to know each other a little better.

We thought it was alright to take off our abayas since we were inside a hospital compound. But we were wrong. Someone asked us to wear them again.
Good thing we already took some good shots already.

And these are some of the good shots. Of the girls, of the park, and of the city.

A manmade rock formation behind me. I had fun at that Cave Park.
I just wished we had more time to explore the park. Next time, maybe.

And that photo just reminded me one thing: I was talking about my double chin and weight gain, right? Can you see it now? I know you do.

I searched online for exercises I can do at home and found some, including a chin and jaw toner exercise! (This isn't a sponsored link so click on if you love your neck.) I haven't tried that yet but I will when I start my daily 15 minute exercise. Battling the bulges will make me healthy and strong, which is essential if you're a working mom like me. I think I should start with it before the summer ends.