One of the most famous sights in Bohol province are the Chocolate Hills. This delightful sounding place is in the town of Carmen in the center of Bohol. I wanted to get there very early in the morning and hopefully get a good morning light. From Casa Juana, I took a tricycle to the Dau bus terminal just outside the city. It was still very early in the morning but there was already a bus waiting for passengers to the town of Carmen. I was afraid that they would take forever to fill up when the engine sprang to life and the bus started to move.
It got my hopes up that I would be able to make it by sunrise. It was still 4:30 in the morning and there is lots of time. Unfortunately, the bus was crawling along the entire route in Tagbilaran City waiting for passengers. So by the time we actually got out of Tagbilaran City, the sun was already up. So much for my sunrise shot. I guess the best way is to spend the night at the Chocolate Hills complex itself, as the first bus out of town takes forever.
The road system of Bohol province is very well maintained. The roads are all one lane going in each direction, there isn’t really a lot of vehicles here so large roads aren’t really necessary. The bus was following the southern coastal road when it turned inland at the town of Loay. From there the vegetation became thicker and there was hardly a sign of life in these parts. Once in a while would be passing by a town but it was obvious that the interior of Bohol is not as developed as the coast.
After an hour and a half of travelling I began to see some hills, we have finally arrived at the town of Carmen. The people were mentioning to me to get off to go to the Chocolate Hill Complex. The Chocolate Hills complex is basically a viewing deck on top of a hill where you get to see the hills. The hills themselves are unbelievably real. There are about a 1700 simliarly shaped hills as far as the eye can see. They are all shaped like inverted drops.
Legend says that these were created from the tears of a giant. Others say they were leftovers from fierce fighting between two giants. On the other hand, scientists say these are created from coral deposits that rose from the sea. Millions of years later the wind and water would carve these deposits into the hills that we see now today. The Chocolate Hills was declared a national geological monument and is a source of pride for of Boholanos. As for the unique name, the hills have grassy cover which dry up and turn brown during summer giving them that resemblance to chocolate. In fact they have a chocolate snack here in Bohol called Chocolate Kisses which get their inspiration from the hills.
From the viewdeck, there are a few clusters of hills which are nearby, unfortunately for me, the morning light is already too harsh and the smoke from the small fires from the town is hazing up the scene. I was hugely disappointed to see this. After a little hanging out at the view deck I was wondering once I have been to the viewing deck, what can I do here?
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