The Runcible Architect.: The Perfect Cafe.

Lunch and drawing at Liberte, Albany, Western Australia.

I've found them in every city. Without exception, they have:

1. Good seats. Not too hard, not too soft, preferably with a back, no arms.

2. Good tables. Not too high, not too low, with room for a drink, a snack, and a sketchbook [or two].

3. Good view. Extra points for: lively street, body of water, or trees.

4. Good people watching.

5. Cold beers on tap, good snacks. Sometimes I just want some fries, or pho, or affogato in the middle of the day, or late at night.

6. A good playlist. This is the make or break factor. Many cafes seem to have all of the above, and then fall flat on their faces when it comes to music. What's with the Muzak remakes of 80s songs in this hemisphere?

7. Attentive [but not hovering] waitstaff.

8. A good crowd, hopefully a mix of travelers and locals - might be working too, or chatting, or just taking it all in.

9. WiFi that actually works, and that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

After 12+ weeks of travel, cafes become offices, places to meet people, places to have both a taste of home [the aforementioned fries] and a taste of the locality [I still haven't figured out how to order coffee here in Australia...]. I've been doing a lot of drawing in these types of places, and one of the first things I think about in a new place is where a good working/thinking/sitting spot might be. Since I'm without a living room, or an office, or a couch, even - and I don't really want to be sitting in my hotel room when I need to work - I have to rely on public places. This might be the difference between a tourist and a traveler, or it could just be a function of the length of the trip. In any case, I'd like to call out the hall-of-fame spots* so far on my trip:

Beijing: Beijing Downtown Backpackers' Association, Nanluoguxian Alley. Good drawing spot. Runner up: Houhai Lake cafes.

Ulaanbaatar: Cafe Amsterdam, hands down. When we needed a western breakfast [you would too, after a week of munching on mutton in the Gobi], when we needed to draw for an hour or two, when we needed a cold Khar Khorum, when we wanted to escape UB. Runner up: Sacher's Baeckerei. Delicious pastries, a strange breakfast concoction, lots of German mine engineers, and a decor straight out of Bavaria.

Seoul: I don't feel like we were here long enough to find a dedicated spot, but the rooftop of our hostel was pretty great.

Hanoi: KOTO. Good cause [the cafe is a training school for former street kids], and good feel for drawing. Runner-up: LaPlace Hanoi. Mostly because of the kraft-paper tablecloths and basket of crayons.

Hoi An: Tam Tam Jardin. Perfect playlist. Mango lassi. Yes. Runner up: The beach.

Kuala Lumpur: Was only here a couple of days, but I found a great spot: Palate Palette. Here, I did multiple drawings and satisfied my craving for avocado.

Melaka: Calanthe Art Cafe. Django on the playlist, delicious coffee [from each of Malaysia's 13 states]. Runner Up: Harper's, mostly for the cold beer and prime location on the river. Major minus points for playlist, major plus points for frequent giant lizard [5'!!] sitings.

Georgetown, Penang: B@92. Guinness Extra Stout, good location, friendly staff.

Singapore: only here for two days, so didn't really find that perfect working place...

Perth: So far, Perth is the hardest nut to crack: $11/hour internet, lots of suburbs. But, I've found some good 'uns: Tiger Tiger [their use of avocado and egg alone wins me over...], and Shots on Lake in Northbridge, where I'm sitting right now...

Albany: Liberte. Edith Piaf on the speakers, melty swiss + olive sandwiches, breeze from the ocean, marble top tables and brass fittings. Perfect.

In a few days, it's back to Boston, and Sunday afternoons in Bates Hall at the Public Library....

*Note: This does not include bars, or restaurants, each of which would constitute a separate list of criteria and of hall-of-fame entries...