Kovai Chaos: A Musician's (Very Tired) Take
okay, wow. where do i even start? coimbatore. kovai. whatever you wanna call it. it’s… a lot. i’m still trying to process it all, honestly. we just finished a week-long run here with the band, and my brain feels like a tangled guitar cable.
first off, the heat. seriously. i just checked and it’s 21.88°C with 83% humidity right now. hope you like that kind of thing. it’s like breathing soup. my guitar strings were constantly going out of tune, and i swear my vocal cords were melting. we’re used to touring, but this was a different level.
we were booked at this little club called The Groove Spot - check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheGrooveSpotCoimbatore/ - it was… rustic. let’s go with rustic. the sound guy was a legend, though. knew exactly what he was doing, even with our questionable equipment. someone told me he’s been working there for twenty years. twenty years! that’s dedication.
finding decent coffee was a mission. seriously. i’m used to Melbourne’s coffee scene, so this was a bit of a shock. eventually, i stumbled upon this place called Black Mamba Coffee Roasters https://blackmambacoffee.com/. it wasn’t perfect, but it was… drinkable. and the wifi was decent, which is all i really ask for these days.
we spent a lot of time wandering around, trying to get our bearings. it’s a huge place, sprawling. the Western Ghats are right there, looming over everything. it’s beautiful, in a chaotic, overwhelming kind of way. i tried to get some good shots for the band’s Instagram, but the light was tricky. i heard that Rai Nagar is a good spot for photography, so i’ll check that out next time.
and the traffic! oh god, the traffic. horns blaring, scooters weaving in and out… it’s an experience. i almost got run over three times. i’m pretty sure the locals are used to it, though. they just shrug it off.
if you get bored, Tiruppur and Erode are just a short drive away. apparently, Tiruppur is a textile hub, so if you’re into that sort of thing…
we didn’t really get a chance to explore the local cuisine much, to be honest. we were mostly fueled by chai and whatever we could find at the hotel. but I did see a bunch of places on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g306843-Coimbatore_Tamil_Nadu.html that looked promising. maybe next time.
overall? coimbatore is… intense. it’s not a relaxing vacation spot, that’s for sure. but it’s got a raw energy, a chaotic pulse that’s kind of addictive. i’m exhausted, my ears are still ringing, and i need a serious shower, but… i wouldn’t trade the experience.
now, if you’ll excuse me, i’m going to go sleep for approximately 16 hours.
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