delhi soundcheck: humidity 30% and my brain is fried

just got into delhi and the air hit me like a dry slap. 24 degrees but it feels like 24, humidity at 30%-i just checked the weather app and it's sitting at a perfect 24.68 with feels like 23.99, hope you're into that desert vibe. my agent said this gig would be 'chill' but chill here means no AC and a stage that wobbles if you breathe too hard. i'm already dreaming of a cold beer and a nap, but first, i need to find the venue.

the address is 1279 some cramped lane in paharganj, and sound check is at 13:56-yeah, from the 1356542019 mess i got in the itinerary. i swear, every tour, the numbers get weirder. i asked the promoter if 1279 is even a real address, and he just laughed and said 'beta, in delhi, every number is real.' thanks, dude. i pulled out my phone to double-check on google maps, and it showed me a dead end. classic.

so, i'm trudging through these streets with my guitar case and a backpack full of cables, looking for a place that has 'good natural light' for my instagram stories. as a touring musician, lighting is everything-half my posts are just me squinting under stage lights. i found this little chai stall that looks like it's from the 70s, and the guy makes a mean cutting chai for 20 bucks. i'll take it. i heard from a regular that the owner used to play tabla for some big names back in the day. someone told me that if you ask nicely, he'll tell stories about the 80s delhi music scene. total gossip gold. i sat there for an hour, nursing my chai, and watched a guy fix a radio from the 90s. this city is a time capsule.

now, about the venue: i've been checking reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor for places in delhi. there's this one spot called 'the bunker' that has great ratings for acoustics, but the comments say the crowd is hit or miss. i read a review where someone said 'the bass was so loud my teeth vibrated,' and another said 'i could hear the singer's soul.' i'll take my chances. but the real tea is in the google reviews-apparently, the owner is a former rocker who now runs a vegan cafe by day. i heard that he book bands based on how well they can handle his 'special' sound system. good luck to me.

i also used this site called nedan to find cheap accommodations near venues-it's a lifesaver for budget travelers like me. and for gear, i always check out reverb for used equipment, but shipping to india is a pain. for last-minute tickets, i use bookmyshow, but they charge a fee. sometimes, i just show up at the venue and hope for the best. risky, but saves money.

i'm on a hunt for the cheapest filter coffee in delhi. i heard from a backpacker that this place in shahpur jat does it for 50 rupees, but the reviews say it's hit or miss. tripadvisor has a list of top cafes, but i'm avoiding the fancy ones. my budget is tighter than a snare drum. for hidden gems, check out the Delhi Tourism website.

if you get bored while visiting, agra is just a three-hour drive away-taj mahal, you know the drill. but don't go on weekends; it's a madhouse. i heard from a fellow traveler that the best time to see it is at sunrise, but i'm usually asleep after shows, so maybe not for me. jaipur is another option, but the drive is longer. someone told me that the havelis there are haunted, which is cool if you're into that, but i'm more into cheap hostels and strong coffee. mathura is also close for krishna temples, but i'd rather sleep.

the weather here is something else. 24.68 degrees max and min, pressure 1014, humidity 30%-it's like living in a desert with a side of pollution. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. my skin is already dying. bring moisturizer, folks. the pressure is steady at 1014, which means no storms, but the ground level pressure is 989? that's weird. probably just the website glitching. anyway, it's dry as hell, and my throat is scratchy from the dust. i sound like a chain smoker, and i don't even smoke. the temp_min and temp_max are both 24.68, so no relief at night-just constant mildness that drives you crazy.

i've embedded a map below so you can see where i'm stuck. this area is a maze of narrow lanes, and google maps keeps sending me in circles. but hey, that's half the fun, right? you should see the rickshaws weaving through like they own the road. i've almost been run over three times already.

speaking of fun, here are some snaps from around delhi that i nabbed from unsplash. first one is of the chaos at cp, second is a quiet moment in hauz khas, and third is the india gate all lit up. makes me want to write a song about it, but my guitar is probably dusty from the journey. i swear, every time i travel, i forget my capo or have a string snap. this time, it's the input jack that's buzzing. i might have to buy a new one, but where? i saw a music shop near connaught place that looked promising. check out their reviews on Yelp though-someone said they overcharge tourists. i heard that if you go with a local, they give you a better price.

anyway, i need to go fight with the sound engineer about monitor levels. he probably speaks only hindi and thinks my name is 'guitar wallah.' tune in next time for more tales from the road. or don't, i'm not your mom. and if you're in delhi, come to the show tonight at the bunker-i'll be the one with the tired eyes and a throat full of dust.

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