A good number of people fly into Reno and catch a Burner Express bus to the venue. They must be able to carry all their belongings. Sometimes, they are coming to a camp that is already set up. I visited with a young woman who had flown in and rode the bus - arriving at a camp where she knew nobody and having to share an RV with 5 other women. She was out on the playa because her roommates were all sleeping and she wasn't finding them compatible. Even so, she was having the time of her life. We met her when we hitched a ride on an art car.
I visited with a young man who had flown to Reno from Raleigh, had boarded the Burner Express and he was camping on his own in the Walk-In Camper area. He said he was making friends with the other campers. He said his tent and sleeping bag were a disaster after a couple of days of dust storms and a night of rain. Ugh. Nevertheless, he was enjoying himself. He is originally from India and he said he did not tell his family where he was. He was sure they would be worried.
I really don't understand how people get these shipping containers to Black Rock City or how they remove them. I did not see any big trucks anywhere or a forklift big enough to lift this thing, but I saw a lot of these in camps. People were hanging out inside them, on the roof, etc. It seems sort of creepy to me to sleep inside something like this, but people were doing it.
After this camp removed the large public structures out on the street, it was fascinating to see these traditional canvas yurts set up for living spaces.
These are just a few of the lodgings I was able to snap a photo of. I know a lot of the "walk in campers" had regular camping tents.
Black Rock City is laid out in a circular grid before anyone arrives. There are street names (alphabetical from Center Camp) and the cross streets are set up with times like a clock. Most people who plan ahead to come will register for placement assignments. This way, they can make sure all the people in their camp will have a spot for their camping equipment. Some camps have a community kitchen. Some even have power available for RVs. These camps charge for the campers to be a part of the camp. They also have job assignments for the campers.
We got our tickets just weeks before Burning Man, so we opted to camp in what is called Open Camping. After we arrived, we just wandered a bit until we found a location we liked. All the Open Camping is out on the perimeter of Black Rock City - quite a ways from most of the activity.
We got to see a lot of parts of Black Rock City when we were walking or biking back from our activities. It is really interesting to see how people establish their camps.
Here is a photo taken from the top level of an art car as we rode back to their camp one afternoon:
Black Rock City is built on a dried up lakebed from millenia. The surface dust is composed of silicon dioxide, organic matter, and aluminum oxide. It has a very high alkalinity and the particles are very fine. It sticks to everything and coats all surfaces. It is very hard to remove. People use vinegar, citric acid, witch hazel and Calgon to help clean up after Burning Man. Here are a few of my dirt photos:
This is me at the temple on our first full day, Tuesday. Also known as Tutu Tuesday.
We knew there would be dust. We came prepared with goggles and dust masks.
But really, you can't really quite know what it will be like to experience it.
Not every piece of art at Black Rock City is huge, but they do encourage art that is interactive. This piece has all kinds of drawers with things hidden inside. There are keys to unlock the cabinet doors. It was fascinating talking to him about how he poured the concrete pads in place, bringing prebuilt forms from home. The construction comes apart easily so it is easy to transport. I'm not sure how they were going to be removing the concrete afterwards, though - because everything has to be removed in order to comply with the "leave no trace" policy. I expect the paid Black Rock City Maintenance crew comes in with large equipment for some of that.....
Every piece of art must be lit up at night. There are no street lights out on the playa, and people are riding around on their bicycles and in art cars - everything must be lit up. So, every artist - or their crew, must build and maintain a system of lighting for their art. Most of them are lit up using solar energy. Wires and pipes can be buried underground, but everything has to be removed after the event. This is a "leave no trace" event.
I have not written in this blog for 10 years, but I feel it is time to revive it!
I have been home from Burning Man less than 3 weeks. It was beyond amazing to experience. Both very challenging and very inspiring. The art and creativity of the participants was overwhelming! The execution of the construction of the camps and the art and the art cars - all for just a week spent in Black Rock City - this was mind blowing. I know what we went through just to get ourselves there and back!
The weather was also overwhelming - dust storms three days - these days it was, at times a complete white out that could go on for hours. The wind blew and blew. Dust got into the van in spite of our efforts to seal off doors and windows. It crept into every nook and cranny and the dust is nearly impossible to remove entirely. It is all minerals and the ionic properties cause it to bond with every surface.
This weather / dust made for ethereal viewing of the art installations. It also made the calm days feel precious.
At the end of the week, there is a celebration involving the burning of the man - the wooden structure at the center of the Playa. This is a party unlike any other. The fire dancers, the fireworks display, the circle of over 200 art cars around the Man - all lit up and playing music as loud as possible. People dancing everywhere.
