The Chocolate Hills of Bohol - mysterious hills whose quirks the Filipinos still can't explain (18 photos + 1 video)
Imagine flying over the Philippine island of Bohol during the dry season. A surreal landscape unfolds below you: neat rows of perfectly conical hills, cloaked in sun-baked grass and reminiscent of giant chocolate truffles. 
These are the famous Chocolate Hills – a geological mystery that scientists and folklorists have been trying to solve for centuries. 
There are about 1,260 of them, scattered across an area of 50 square kilometers. They range in height from 30 to 50 meters and are remarkably symmetrical. The hills are composed of grass-covered limestone and acquire their signature chocolate hue when the greenery is bleached by the scorching sun. 
But how did they come about? Science still has no definitive answer. Theories range from underwater volcanism and seafloor erosion to the exotic theory of a self-destructing ancient volcano, whose debris was scattered across the area. The mystery is compounded by the fact that this is the only place on the entire island with such a relief. 
Where science fails, folklore takes over. One of the most colorful legends tells of an enraged, enormous buffalo ravaging the fields. To teach it a lesson, the villagers slipped the giant a spoiled harvest. After tasting the treat, he fell ill and, in agony, scattered huge piles of... excrement around the area, which over time turned into hills. Thus, the legend gives a new and, it must be said, rather piquant interpretation to their chocolate name. 
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