Poso

Although Jalan Danau Poso used to be familiar stomping grounds for me, time and circumstance have intervened such that I rarely see the area these days. Some seven years ago, my wife ran an ill-conceived, doomed-from-the-outset salon on Poso. I advised her against entering this business because 1) she knew nothing about running a salon, 2) she knew no one else who knew anything about running a salon or really even working in a salon, and 3) Sanur, even seven years ago, was already crowded with basically deserted salons, as redundant as Waffle House in the State of Georgia. But oh well, she had never been in the habit of listening to my advice, preferring to learn the hard (and the expensive) way.

Nonetheless, we had a pleasant time in the old Poso salon, which she named “Lavender”. There were not many customers, but we (the management) had fun hanging out and eating lunch together and so on. It also served as a convenient base for me from which to go swimming down at the beach and enjoy a shower in the salon when I returned.

Back then, there was not much else on Jalan Danau Poso except for little local warungs and a few bars and a convenience store. Therefore, it is quite a shock to see the place now all built up with new restaurants and various other businesses (including salons). The old Poso is buried somewhere beneath all this, like ancient ruins.

And so yesterday I kind of toured the area and ended up at a new restaurant/community center called Rumah Sanur. It is a spacious, open-air establishment offering multiple communal areas, depending upon what you are communing for, and multiple wifi stations such that no area will end up with a weak signal. My interest was, of course, in the coffee café area, called Kadai Kopi Kultur, where one may order freshly ground coffee drinks of many kinds (and for a reasonable price, too). There is also a bar area, and, in the evening, there is live music. While I was there, at around 6 pm, the place was practically deserted, but I was assured that people would show up later for the music and the beer—which is not to complain, because, frankly, I prefer ‘deserted’, with as little music as possible. The place has a nice ambiance, a cozy, natural feeling. The chairs, however, are unbearable; but then again, most chairs are unbearable to me, given the nature of my shoulder and back pain. It’s just a short drive to the nearest beach, where one can take a nice evening walk after his coffee.