Carmen (1 of 2)
The surreal Chocolate Hills are known throughout the Philippines as one of the country's great tourist attractions. Some geologists believe that these unique forty-metre mounds - there are said to be 1268 of them if you care to count - were formed from deposits of coral and limestone sculpted by centuries of erosion. Most locals, however, will tell you that the hills are the calcified tears of a giant, whose heart was broken by the death of a mortal lover. Some prefer the idea that they were left behind by a giant carabao with distressed bowels.
During the glare of day the light casts harsh shadows and the hills lose their definition. But at dawn or dusk, when the sunrise and sunset cast an emollient light, they look splendid. During the dry season the scrub vegetation that covers the hills is roasted brown, and with a short stretch of the imagination, they really do resemble endless rows of chocolate drops.
