Bohol

Gaga over green in Bohol

The green water, the woods, the verdant hills. They all come to life in Bohol.

This southern isle is blessed with an eclectic range of both natural and man-made attractions, but the color green is what makes Bohol extra special. It’s everywhere in this part of the Visayas.

The Chocolate Hills may be “sweet” for their brown hue, but I felt lucky that I saw them green in our recent visit. The color made the famed natural wonder look fresh and vigorous, a breathtaking sight that made climbing the hills’ 213-step stairway less daunting and tiring.

Just as captivating are Bohol’s other sights.

The mahogany forest, which is situated between the municipalities of Loboc and Bilar, looks every bit a slice of the Middle Earth that Peter Jackson created for his screen adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Its waterfalls, particularly Mag-aso in Anteguerra, are a flowing veil of emerald green, the same luminous green water that makes Loboc River so enchanting. And the whiteness of Balicasag’s beaches set against the greenness of the island’s lush vegetation paints a balance of hues that beggars description.

I tell you, these visions of green during my trip to Bohol emptied my mind of all other thoughts. It is true what they say about the relaxing effects of the color of trees!

But the province itself has a colorful past as evidenced by its centuries-old churches and the must-see Blood Compact Shrine.

In Bohol, a visitor cannot help but to be in awe. It’s beauty does not fade when the sun comes down, the sea darkens, the sky turns to evening and the stars begin to twinkle. Bohol is green and gorgeous, night or day.

(First published in Manila Times on July 9, 2004)