Some care about their pizzas. Some look for the ultimate spa. Somehow, ours (me, my wife, and our five-year-old) came to be coffee shops. It’s where we hang out, grab some espresso and quiet moments. We got into the habit in Ireland and Italy in the early 00s (before the kid came about), and solidified our obsession in Seattle. Wherever we are, if there’s some good coffee in a relaxed setting, I’m happy.

I was talking to a couple last night about their obsession: Onsen (hot spring bath). We went in together to a pretty good place, really a replica of a high-grade Japanese public bath/spa called Morino-yu, and splurged on a izakaya-style dinner in yukata afterward.

What is so refreshing and interesting to me traveling in asia so far is how pervasive the influence of Japanese pop culture is here. You can find pretty good replication of food, music, spaces that trick you into thinking you are in Japan, even if it was 70s/80s Japan.

I expect this to change rather dramatically, once we are in India, though. We leave tomorrow…