Karaj Diaries: Drum Beats, Weather Quirks, and Street Whispers

it's 18.42 degrees in karaj right now, feels like 16.92, and the air's so dry i'm practically crackling. humidity's at 23%, pressure steady at 1017. if you're into crisp mountain air without the sweat, this is your jam.

anyway, i landed here chasing a last-minute gig with a local band-turns out karaj's got a surprisingly tight music scene. the drummer i replaced swore the best jam sessions happen in this tiny basement studio near the Alborz mountains. *google maps says it's here, but good luck finding it without asking three locals.

overheard gossip: "the sound guy at that studio? total wizard. fixes broken snares with duct tape and prayers."


pro-tip: bring your own sticks. theirs are older than my grandma's recipes.


i stayed in this quirky guesthouse run by a guy who collects vintage radios. walls plastered with black-and-white photos of karaj in the '70s. tripadvisor review said it was "haunted," but i think that's just the echo of old vinyl crackling at 2 a.m.


someone told me that the best coffee in town isn't in a hipster cafe-it's from a street vendor near the bazaar who roasts beans in a dented pan. i didn't believe it until i burned my tongue on the first sip. worth it.


if you get bored, tehran and qazvin are just a short drive away. tehran's chaos is a 45-minute blast; qazvin's quieter, with these insane historical caravanserais that look like they belong in a movie set.


random local advice: never trust a restaurant with more than three photos on its yelp page. the uglier the sign, the better the kebab.



weather check:* it's 18.42 degrees there right now, feels like 16.92. bring layers-nights get chilly, and the wind off the mountains is no joke.


anyway, i'm off to hunt down that mythical street drummer everyone keeps mentioning. rumor has it he plays buckets like they're gold. catch you on the flip side.