Lantaw sa Duyan

It was meant to be. 

With everybody busy, it is a rarity that we could find a common time to get together and catch up. 

All summer, people have been trooping to Lantawan and Duyan Café in Silay. To set our curiosities to rest, we decided to join the bandwagon. As it turned out, it was also a test of Ms. Teray’s driving skills as well as Tage’s machine power to dominate the slopes.

All was well. We made it through the first incline. Midway through the second, I got worried when we changed gear while ascending. Nobody reacted so I kept my worries to myself until our driver realized that the gear shift was a wrong call. Tage descended backwards and Ms. Teray started to lose confidence, she steered Tage to the wrong side of the road. A Pajero slowed down and the driver asked if we needed help and suggested to apply the brakes. At the time, both Jen and JD were already out of the car while I was glued to my seat, unsure of what to do. Fortunately the brakes held. That was a relief.

There was no turning back so JD took the wheel on the way up. We stopped by the roadside eatery where we ordered “laswa” to go with the grilled meats. While waiting for lunch to cook, we engaged our host in a small talk. She used to work in the middle east to send her nieces and nephews to school. She decided to stay and work on the piece of land that they own growing fruit trees, vegetables and pineapples. When Lantawan and Duyan started catering to tourist, it opened an opportunity for them to market their produce as well as providing travelers a cheaper dining option.

We decided to leave Tage at the stop and rented a mini-truck to take us to Lantawan. At the back, I opted to stand so I can feel the rain-cleansed air on my face. I had no inkling that the descent was so steep and the speed-demon-of-a-driver seemingly enjoyed my deafening shrieks cared not to slow down even as we passed by the bridge which half lane sank from a recent landslide.

That was short-lived as my attention was captured by the sight before us: lush greens that glistened from the rain.