Race to the Chocolate Hills

I was at an Amazing Race-type of team-building in an out-of-town junket for journalists recently.

There were four teams and my team was in the middle of a hotly-contested race against another team.

Only a few seconds separated the two teams and the tension was quite thick.

The next leg of the race required the teams to choose an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and ride in tandem.

The ATVs were lined-up and ready. About ten ATVs will accommodate ten riders and their tandems.

There were 6 of us in the team, and it would be a huge advantage if all of us can have a go at the ATVs ahead of the other teams. We would be riding in tandem, which means we would need 3 ATVs.

The first wave of riders, including myself, did not have the pleasure of choosing the color of the ATV that we need to ride and race with.

The race had an interesting twist: instead of racing on sand or unpaved roads, we had to ride the ATV all the way up the viewing platform of the scenic Chocolate Hills in Bohol.

After donning my safety helmet, I did a nice short leap to mount the ATV.
The race guides quickly gave the basic control scheme of the ATV.
Press the throttle to go, release to slow down.

There was no time to plan for the ATV race, and a teammate instinctively leaped behind me, because we were supposed to ride in tandem.

The opposing team, our closest rival, was also gearing up and doing the same.
The roar of the ATVs meant the race was on.

The paved road was long and winding, very similar to the famed Kennon Road in Baguio City, although a bit easier to negotiate.

The road was on the side of a mountain, with a cliff on the other side. The hills were also on the other side.

But at that moment, I was not entertaining any thoughts of enjoying the view, as the ATV roared.

From time to time, I kept on looking back and checking on the position of my teammates and of our opponents.

As the angle of the road got sharper, the ATV engine seemed to roar in louder and louder in agony.

Thankfully, me and my teammates reached the platform first.

It was a grueling race, but for a few minutes, I finally got to admire the beauty of the world-famous Chocolate Hills.

The hills can be seen standing from afar like quiet, rotund sentinels, towering above green plains.

The view from the top is simply breathtaking.