When I was a kid, I was told that the Chocolate Hills of Bohol were made when huge chunks of melting chocolates dropped on the ground and over time it harden and became hills. It was like a Coco Crunch
advertisement kind of thing, I first thought.
Until theories from school said that these hills are product
of massive geological formation that resulted from the rising of the ground
from the sea. And with the wind,
erosion, and water that made the finishing touches in hundreds and thousands
of years, these hills were shaped perfectly like an unwrapped Hershey’s
chocolate kisses until it became Bohol's most famous tourist attraction today.
Until I grew up, graduated from college and saw the
tourism campaign of “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” regarding the hills, the
eagerness in me to see these became stronger.
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| The "It's More Fun in the Philippines" banner |
I can also remember when Ate Marilyn, my long lost cousin here in Bohol (Read how I met her) , asked me what am I going to do here in Bohol, I told
her just two things—to see the Tarsiers and the Chocolate Hills. Successfully,
I was able to fulfill my childhood dream to see these hills and not just
through post cards anymore.
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| Ate Marilyn (on the right) and I |
Most of the hills accumulated an area of more than
50 kilometers covering some towns located in the center of the province. It was
claimed that there are no less than 1268 hills that can be spotted here and
around this place. There was a viewing deck that was developed in Barangay
Buenos Aires which enables you to enjoy and appreciate the scenic view more.
To get here, there are daily bus trips from Tagbilaran that
can drop you off here. This would just take about an hour and a half of travel
time. It would also be desirable to get here early in the morning or late in
the afternoon since viewing them under a midday sun would be so hot.
According
to Ate Marilyn, the best time to see these hills is during the summer season
when they are all dried out. This way, you’ll be able to appreciate the
chocolate color better unlike during the rainy season when green grasses grow
on these hills—surfacing it; thus, covering the rich brown color.
Though there is nothing much to do here other than climbing
the flight of stairs that has 214 steps up to the viewing deck where you can
enjoy seeing the hills and take lots of self shots, this experience is more of
an accomplishment for me. I can still remember when I was dreaming to see these
world-renowned cone-shaped hills before!
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| At the foot of the stairs with 214 steps going to the viewing deck |
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| At the viewing deck |
On this experience, I ended up
appreciating our Intelligent Creator on how He made all these bumps and lumps
popped up the ground. Indeed, this abnormal formation is one of the perfect
gifts God has given the Boholanos.
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