Filipina Soul

They are mounds of Hershey’s chocolate, their sweet aroma filling the countryside. Bands of ants scurry between the feet of chocolate lovers coming from the world over. Everyone wants a taste, a bite of the wonderful goodness that spreads as far as the eye can see.

That, my dear readers, is not the Chocolate Hills of Bohol. Sorry.

I wish they were really made of chocolate. In fact, when I was young, I thought “What luck those Boholanos have to live among hills of chocolate!”. But the mounds are made of hardier stuff, limestone. Only grass grows on it and only during the rainy months. When summer hits, the grass turns brown, giving the formations the color from which they derive their name.

Geologists cannot yet agree on the origin of the hills. The most commonly accepted theory is that the island of Bohol was once under water. As the ocean levels dropped, the marine limestone was subjected to weathering and erosion, leaving the formations we see today. Of course, there are more fanciful explanations:

Legend has it that the hills came into existence when two giants threw stones and sand at each other in a fight that lasted for days. When they were finally exhausted, they made friends and left the island, but left behind the mess they made. For the more romantically inclined is the tale of Arogo, a young and very strong giant who fell in love with an ordinary mortal girl called Aloya. After she died, the giant Arogo cried bitterly. His tears then turned into hills, as a lasting proof of his grief.

I had the chance to see this wonder for myself a few years ago. Even from the airplane, one can see that they can be found all over the island of Bohol. There are said to be no less than 1268 hills altogether. There is one place though, where the concentration is highest. That is where the tourists flock and take numerous photos of the hills. The tallest one has a viewing deck on top and a couple more along its 214-step stairway.

Visit Bohol and see these natural wonders on their own or as part of a day tour. For more information, visit Bohol’s homepage.

Tags: Bohol, Philippine tourist destinations, Chocolate Hills

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