Information on Mount Famy Trail

Last Holy Week of 2009 I went together with my officemates on a mountain trekking adventure where we trekked the Mount Famy trail.

The Mount Famy trail can be considered to be a good trek for those who are beginners to the outdoor backpacking. It is just a few hours away from Metro Manila and the trek up the camp site will normally last to three hours. (See our pictures).

Mount Famy is situated near Siniloan, Laguna and our itenerary to reach the place is as follows:

1.    Jeep from EDSA Crossing to terminal at Taytay, Rizal
2.    Jeep from Taytay to Siniloan, Laguna
3.    Trike from Siniloan to Mt. Famy trail registration booth

Before going to the Mt. Famy registration booth and started the trail, we stopped over the Siniloan public market to buy goods for meals during the camp. Don’t worry about getting lost at Siniloan as the Siniloan Public Market is the destination of the jeep as it is the terminal. We also took the time to use the public toilet as there is none during the trail. Then from there, you can take the trikes to the registration booth.

The trail has some forks so better be with people who has reached the top as they know which path to take, however, during the Holy Week there are lots of campers so you won’t be alone but expect to have no place to camp upon reaching the camp site.

Upon reaching the top, the main camp sites are found at the top and bottom of the Buruwisan falls. There are also good spots to camp going to the Batya-batya falls or, to the other end, the Lanzones falls.

What to expect on the trail and the camp site:

• Mountain rangers that ensure the safety and cleanliness
• No signal for Globe and Sun subscribers while there is a little for Smart on few selected spots
• No electricity
• A seasonal mom and pop store that sells bread, cigarettes, soap, shampoo, soft to hard beverages, and more
• A pay toilet
• A night event when there are numerous campers

My expenditure for the trek was around Php800 for a three day two night stay at Mt. Famy includive of my fare from Cubao and back, the registration, and my food. However, if you are not physically fit and you don’t have the required equipment, you might find yourself spending more than that.

When having such an outdoor adventure, always remember to take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, and kill nothing but time. Please be responsible with your trash and bring them down when you leave.

VCF Alabang Kids Ministry Random Pics

Here are some random shots taken during the preparation or ongoing Sunday services for the Kids ministry.

 Here are the album 1 and album 2 links to get the individual pics.

-Xycris

Next Camera Dilemma

I am having a dilemma on what camera I should buy next after my Sony DSC-W150 corroded after it went with me in the water while crossing the river back in Mt. Famy after visiting Batya Batya Falls.

 Below is a table of the two cameras I want to buy and it shows their main differences and in all other things they are just the same. I hope you can help in making a decision:

Models:	Sony DSC-W300	Sony DSC-W170
Specifications
Basic Feature
Gross Pixels	Approx. 13.9 Mega Pixels	Approx. 10.3 Mega Pixels
Effective Pixels	Approx. 13.6 Mega Pixels	Approx. 10.1 Mega Pixels
Sensor Type	1/1.7″ Super HAD CCD	1/2.3″ Super HAD CCD
Optical Zoom	3x	5x
Precision Digital Zoom	Approx. 6x	Approx. 10x
Smart Zoom	8M: Approx. 3.9x, 5M: Approx. 4.9x, 3M: Approx. 6.2x, VGA: Approx. 19x, 16:9: Approx. 6.6x	5M: Approx. 7.0x, 3M: Approx. 8.9x, VGA: Approx. 28x, 16:9: Approx. 9.5x
F Number	2.8 - 5.5	3.3 - 5.2
Focal Length f = (35mm Conversion)	7.6 - 22.8mm (35 - 105mm)	5 - 25mm (28 - 140mm)
Auto Focus Range	W: Approx. 5cm to Infinity, T: Approx. 34cm to Infinity	W: Approx. 10cm to Infinity, T: Approx. 50cm to Infinity
Macro Auto Focus Range	W: Approx. 5cm to Infinity, T: Approx. 34cm to Infinity	W: Approx. 10cm to Infinity, T: Approx. 50cm to Infinity
Stamina (Battery Life)	300 shots / 150mins	390 shots / 195mins
Main Features	Sony DSC-W300	Sony DSC-W170
Photo Mode	Auto, Easy Shooting, Program Auto, Manual Exposure, Movie, Scene Selection	Auto, Easy Shooting, Program Auto, Movie, Scene Selection
Scene Selection	Smile Shutter / Twilight / Twilight Portrait / Soft Snap / Landscape / Beach / Snow / Firework / High Sensitivity / EX High Sensitivity / EX High-Speed Burst / Underwater	Smile Shutter / Twilight / Twilight Portrait / Landscape / Soft Snap / Snow / Beach / Fireworks / High Sensitivity / High Speed Shutter / Underwater
Still Image Size 13M	4,224 x 3,168	N.A.
Still Image Size 8M	3,264 x 2,448	N.A.
Still Image Size 3:2 Mode	4,224 x 2,816	3,648 x 2,432
Still Image Size 16:9 Mode	4,224 x 2,376 / 1,920 x 1,080	3,648 x 2,056 / 1,920 x 1,080
Aperture	Auto (F2.8 - F16.0) / Program Auto (F2.8 - F16.0)	Auto (F3.3 - F8.0) / Program Auto (F3.3 - F8.0)
Shutter Speed	Auto (1/4 - 1/2000) / Program Auto (1″ - 1/2000) / Manual (30″ - 1/2000)	Auto (1/4 - 1/1600) / Program Auto (1″ - 1/1600)
Focus Mode	Multi-point AF (9 points) / Centre-weighted AF / Spot AF	Multi-point AF (9 points) / Centre-weighted AF / Spot AF / Semi manual (0.5m / 1.0m / 3.0m / 7.0m / Unlimited Distance)
Auto Focus Illuminator	W: Approx. 3.0m , T: Approx. 2.0m	W: Approx. 2.0m , T: Approx. 1.7m
Flash Range	ISO Auto: 0.2 - 5.5m (W) / Approx. 0.5 - 2.7m (T), ISO3200: up to 8.4m (W) / 5.3m (T)	ISO Auto: 0.2 - 4.2m (W) / Approx. 0.5 - 2.7m (T), ISO3200: up to 8.4m (W) / 5.3m (T)
Sharpness	Plus / Minus 1 Step	N.A.
Saturation	Plus / Minus 1 Step	N.A.
Contrast	Plus / Minus 1 Step	N.A.
Still Image Size 10M	N.A.	3,648 x 2,736
Quick response	Sony DSC-W300	Sony DSC-W170
Burst Speed (Maximum)	Approx. 1.9 fps / 5.0 fps (Extra High Speed burst)	Approx. 1.6 fps
Burst Interval (Minimum)	Approx. 0.5 sec / 0.2 sec (Extra High Speed burst)	Approx. 0.62 sec
Body Size	Sony DSC-W300	Sony DSC-W170
Dimensions (W x H x D)	94.3 x 59.0 x 26.8mm	93.7 x 58.0 x 24.0mm
Weight	Approx. 156g (Body), Approx. 187g (With Accessories)	Approx. 142g (Body), Approx. 175g (With Accessories)
Price	Sony DSC-W300	Sony DSC-W170
SRP	Php 30,999.00 (inclusive of 12% VAT for cash purchase)	Php 19,999.00 (inclusive of 12% VAT for cash purchase)
Trusted Supplier Price	Php 16,000.00 (inclusive of 12% VAT for cash purchase)	Php 12,000.00 (inclusive of 12% VAT for cash purchase)

VCF Alabang Random Photorama

Here are some random pictures I have gathered while with VCF Alabang peeps.

Here is the album link to get the individual pics.

-Xycris

2009 New Year Celebration

I was far away from home last 2008 Christmas and 2009 New Year. I went to Baguio for Christmas and then greeted the New Year with my relatives in Manila.

 It was a fun and different kind of New Year celebration for me. The rain and together with the smoky and ash filled air made it hard to see a few meters and beyond and even hard to breathe. But, overall, twas great!

Here is the album link to get the individual pics.

-Xycris