Youtube's Video Stabilization Feature

I just recently discovered a feature on Youtube that stabilizes shaky videos.

Below is the unedited video which was taken while on a bumpy tricycle ride:

Here's the edited video where I also applied the "auto-fix" feature which improves the color.

I didn't expect the outcome to be as crisp as the original one. For most of us who only have ordinary digicams mounted on our shaky hands - this feature should come very handy. Here's an explanation of the technical details behind the stabilization.

A Year into Mountaineering: Hits and Misses, Lessons and Stories - Draft

A beetle struggles on a blade of grass, the same way we struggle on the trail.
A cloud-capped Bulusan Volcano stands on the background.

I wanted to say that there are two kinds of mountaineers - those who blog and tell a story, and those who just climb and make no big deal out of it. It doesn't take long to realize that this sort of classification isn't accurate. The latter species do not exist - it takes ones heart to pursue a hobby that is not only physically taxing but financially as well; mountaineering is a big deal. British explorer Dave Nixon ones said that the whole idea of old-fashioned mountaineering is "to get there and get back in one piece, and tell the great story at the end of it". The story comes in the form of blogs, of facebook albums and attempts to share the story even with friends who probably do not care. Regardless of the form, anyone who climbs has stories to tell. Secretly, even, there's pride from doing something that most people can't or won't.

Kibungan Circuit

The view that greeted us just a few meters from the jump off point.

Benguet is a mountaineer's paradise - there's just mountains in all directions. It is but fitting that that province was chosen for out group's first anniversary climb. The three-day/two-night trek across the rugged landscapes of Kibungan, Benguet took us to three peaks in the circuit, namely Mount Tagpaya with it's knife-edge peak, the curiously-named Mt. Oten and finally Mt. Tagpew. The trail is comparable to that of Akiki in Mount Pulag, but there's so much more than the usual trek across pine trees that is characteristic of hikes in the Cordilleras.

Mt. Napulak Muddy and Rainy Dayhike

It was raining heavily the night before our climb. At the back of my mind I wondered what our plans would be if there's a typhoon - should we going back to Iloilo City and spend the rest of the day visiting churches and museums? Thankfully, however, the rain subsided by morning. With a slight drizzle above our heads, we started hiking at around 6AM, wadding across muddy rice fields. Our guides assured us that the mountain slopes will not be as muddy.

Mt Isarog via Panicuason Trail

View on the peak of Mt. Isarog. Mayon Volcano could have been visible, if not for the fog and clouds.
Picture taken from Cecille Fulgar's Facebook album

Isarog doesn't ring a bell to many mountaineers, and even for many Bicolanos. This dormant volcano is one less-trodden paradise (which is a good thing, in a way). You won't find Mt. Isarog souvenir shirts or key chains anywhere in Naga City, where ironically, the most common ones feature Mayon Volcano (which is from a different province!) or the CWC. This foretold what Isarog's treat for us would be - a hike through lush and almost virgin rain forest. The trail was moderately difficult (6/9 on my scale) - a long "obstacle course", with plenty of crawling, clinging to roots and branches, etc. It's like an extended version of the old trail in Arayat, with a verdant mossy forest as a bonus. Our adventure ends with a side trip to Malabsay Falls, frequented by locals and is close to the jump off point.

Cabo Beach, Burgos, Pangasinan

Cabo/Cabongaoan Beach is a perfect respite for those looking for an unspoiled DIY destination. I bet hardly anyone is familiar with the place - hidden in a remote fishing village in Pangasinan, it is at least 30 km from Alaminos, Pangasinan as the crow flies*! The sand is coarse and orange-ish, and the shoreline, I figure, is twice as long as that of Kwebang Lampas.

Kwebang Lampas, Pagbilao, Quezon

Kwebang Lampas in Pagbilao, Quezon is one of the beaches I wouldn't mind going back to over and over again. The trip is cheap, the water is clear and the sand is (almost) white. Besides, I had zero swimming skills when I first got there, and I wanted these "skills" to be tested. As luck had it, it was sunny during our entire stay even if PAGASA forecasted some "isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms".

Kalinawan Cave and Daranak Falls

This trip was irresistible for one main reason - the estimated expenses was only P250. Besides, it was summer, I had nowhere to go and I was dying to take a dip somewhere.

Beachbumming in Masasa, Tingloy, Batangas

The shoreline of Masasa. A cave is visible at the far right.

There's nothing not to love about Masasa Beach. Hidden in the peaceful island-town of Tingloy in Batangas, this beach is largely untouched by commercialization. There's no entrance fee, and you're free to roam around and do as you please. The shoreline is made up of white sand and broken corals. The corals found not far from the shore are great for snorkeling. Too bad we didn't have an underwater camera, but I'd say the corals are even more varied and colorful than those I saw in Calaguas. Two prominent features of the beach are the cave (which makes a great shelter from the sun, visible in the photo above) and the rock formation which was turned into a stairway (perfect for photo ops!).

Uber Fun Taal Volcano Dayhike

Here's a bit of fact you probably do not know: that volcano looking thing at the back side of the P50 bill isn't Taal Volcano itself - it's technically part of the volcano but it's not where the main crater is. It's called Binintiang Malaki (Big Leg), a dormant crater which was the center of the 1707 and 1715 eruptions. It sits on the edge of Volcano Island, and at present, no established trail leads to its crater because of its steep slopes. The main attraction in the island, the main crater which has a lake in the middle is further inward. An small island sits in the middle of the crater lake - and this is what our tourism ads refer to as an island within a lake (the crater lake), within an island (the Volcano Island) within a lake (Taal Lake), which is within an island (Luzon).

I Left My Heart in Calaguas

This awful picture doesn't give justice to how white and powdery the sand is.

I have long lusted over stories of Calaguas from friends who have been there. Their stories sound like cliches from a tourism pamphlet and told of a long stretch of powdery white sand, crystal clear waters, a paradise. Having been there myself, I couldn't agree agree less.

Finally, the Peak of the Beak at Pico de Loro

Not everyone who goes to Pico de Loro actually makes it to the peak of the monolith, also known to mountaineers as the Parrot's Beak, and I was in fact one of them. And for obvious reasons - the monolith is imposing and while not exactly towering, it is completely vertical. It appears as though getting to the peak requires professional rock climbing skills, if not reckless courage. I proved it all wrong when I finally made it to the peak.

The Heartache that was Bulusan

Team Bulusan: Pau, Adel, John, Ruth, Aris, Sir Frank, Analene, Gen, Me, JB

This was perhaps, the longest, continuous travel I ever took on a single vehicle. I crouched on a cramped bus seat, feeling a plethora of unpleasant sensations - hunger, boredom, numbness. We have already reached the province of Sorsogon - a butt-aching ride of 14 hours, but Irosin was still two hours away. I couldn't count how many times I uttered, "Ang tagal naman!" I was so relieved when we finally arrived in Irosin that I wanted to kiss the ground.

Journey to Mt. HibokHibok, Camiguin: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Uh oh, dark clouds.

We were supposed to climb Mt. Apo on December 26, 2012. Everything seemed to have been set, I‘ve arranged a guide and two other hikers have responded to my facebook invite. Then an unwanted guest named "tropical depression Quinta" came and it was but prudent to cancel the climb. There’s no way, I thought, that I’m leaving Mindanao without scaling a single summit. After New Year the skies appear to have cleared up so I eagerly scheduled a trip to Camiguin to climb the famed Mt. HibokHibok. Again, everything was set – guides and all. Then typhoon Auring came, a little too early. I started to feel that my buttocks are one huge Mongolian blue spot [haha, Google that!].

Tips and Thoughts on Traveling by 2Go Ferry

It's only recently that I learned that Super Ferry, Negros Navigation and a couple of other shipping lines merged into what is now known as 2Go Travels. Anyway my very first tip is, as much as possible, don't take a ferry. The trip is boring and more expensive than if you are taking a budget plane ticket. Always keep an eye of promo tickets, especially on yearly scheduled travels.

Manila to Mindanao: A Long, Winding and Boring Journey

Nothing sets me into a contemplative mood than long travels. I took a ferry from Manila to Cagayan de Oro (CDO), where for three days and two nights there wasn't anything much to entertain me other than my own, random thoughts on love, marriage, travelling - life in general - also politics, life on Mars, the RH bill and many other unrelated sh*t.

An Unexpected Gala at Rizal Park (Luneta) and National Museum

It's a shame that I've lived in Manila for years and yet I've never set foot on Luneta. I'm glad I finally had time to visit the place during the holidays.

The park is divided into two areas by a highway. The western side facing Manila Bay is where the Rizal Monument stands. I decided to explore the eastern side first, which is where the statue of Lapu-Lapu is located. The area is flanked between two buildings - the Department of Tourism and the National Museum. The guard explained that the National Museum actually consists of three buildings - the one inside Luneta is called the Museum of the Filipino People and features historical and archaeological artifacts. The other one, which is a short walking distance away, is the more familiar building that we seen from LRT - the National Art Gallery. Third one is a planetarium located at the western side of Luneta. I knew that The National Art Gallery houses the famous Spoliarium by Juan Luna, which got me excited.

Pico de Loro: First Climb Fail

There's something with being unable to reach the summit after having trekked and endured the trail for hours. The feeling of heartbreak is the only thing that comes close. I stood at the foot of the famous Parrot's Beak, made a quick ascent by working my way to the first boulders that I had to step on. I haven't even reached the where the rope was (supposedly used for rappelling) when fear began to creep in. I decided, I had to back out.

Stargazing at Mt. Batulao

When a childhood dream doesn't get fulfilled, it often becomes an adult's frustration. I still have quite a number of unfulfilled frustrations on my list - visit any of the Disneylands for example - but let me tell you one that I have accomplished recently - in excess!: I watched a freakin’ meteor shower.

Last night, I ran out of wishes as stars - actually meteorites - fell from the skies like a soft drizzle form an imminent rain. Picture this: I laid out my tent on the ground - I was too lazy to set it up and I thought it would serve a great mat. I cuddled myself myself like a spring roll inside my warm and comfy sleeping bag. I lied down, facing the sky. The sky is dotted by uncountable stars – I don’t remember seeing this many stars before. With my viewing deck completely set, I waited for the anticipated meteor shower. I wasn't in some fancy observatory though. My naked eyes were treated with a great show at Mt. Batulao. Hayahay ang buhay!

Tipid na Chilax Mode at Kwebang Lampas (Puting Buhangin), Quezon

Our trip at Pagbilao, Quezon's Kwebang Lampas beach is the supposed beginning of my planned one month hiatus from hiking - and supposedly, to give my clicky knees some time to heal, and to "diversify" my travels. This scenic white sand beach is enclosed by two rocky cliffs, both of which may be explored. The water is amazingly clear and the sand is powdery in some areas. A number of spots are infested with sea urchins, which stung Allan early on. This made us extremely careful for the rest of the day - we even resorted to swimming with sandals on.