Our super decorated bikes thanks to my friend Jason. |
After waiting hours in the “staging area”, we finally rolled into the gates of Black Rock City around 4:30 a.m.
We were tired and excited. I was a little worried my friend had given up on waiting for me and had crashed somewhere. The one thing about Burning Man (and it’s not a bad thing) is that your cell phone doesn’t work so my last text to him was at 7 p.m. in Reno with a note saying: “We’re on our way!”
Actually, one of my favorite parts of the whole adventure was seeing the people on the bikes.
Bikes at Burning Man 2013 |
Imagine this – you’re pedaling through a dust storm. The storm has muted all sound and you can barely see. There’s no one around you on the playa — or so you think, but then suddenly the dust breaks for a second and group of wildly dressed people ride out of the cloud.
They are covered in grey sand, but their scarves, hair and wigs are flying behind them in the wind. They are wearing goggles and pedaling bikes decorated with fake fur, plush animal parts like cartoon heads and tails, flowers and other crazy things.
Hanging out at the far end of the playa. |
It could also be by the Man. The dust storms were sometimes so thick, you couldn’t see him perched in the distance on his spacecraft.
Or they could happen in the mid or far ends of playa where the large sculptures were. This was my favorite area as it was a mix of isolation and crowded-wonder together.
I really did like the emptiness and quiet of the playa — and the respect it commanded.
DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE ON YOUTUBE
So I’m going give you a word of advice – don’t believe what you see on YouTube. Yes, the images are real, but the essence isn’t.
Typical moment at Burning Man 2013 |
Before I went, Burners told me over and over how crazy it was, how bizarre the people were, how big it was, how it’s all naked people and drugs and how my eyes are going to be opened.
I’ve done a lot and seen a lot of interesting things over the years so I might not be your typical Burning Man virgin. Plus, I’m a writer — so you know our minds are a little warped to begin with and unreal worlds are our norm.
But that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy myself. Once I realized I wasn’t going to be out of my element, I relaxed.
Our fantastic neighbors |
So here are the answers to the questions everyone asks:
1) Yes, there were some naked people there, but not as many as you may think. I saw maybe 1 person in every 500.
2) Yes, there were drugs and alcohol there – but compared to going to Lollapoolza or any weekend in Old Vegas, I didn’t see one person throwing up, not able to stand on their own, or urinating in the open.
Sure, they were buzzed and happy, but the difference between Burning Man and every other crazy party I’ve been to over the years, is that here, people were very respectful to others….and to the playa. People really worked hard to keep things as clean as possible which was really nice.
3) No, I didn’t feel threatened or scared at any time.
THE SECRET TO BURNING MAN
Here’s the thing…people are busy doing their own thing and letting go of their own knots and boundaries that they don’t have time to worry about yours.
I found everyone was welcoming, chatty and curious. There were a lot of people there who dressed in the “look” but when you talked to them or gave them something, they were genuinely surprised and grateful.
I had amazing conversations about creativity, where the world was going, technology, business ideas and a bunch of other topics that I’ve never had time to explore in my day-to-day life just because I’ve been too busy to sit still — and other people like me were just as busy.
Thanks for sharing. This burn was amazing in many ways I'm only beginning to process — and it was my third. Hope to see you on Playa next year…
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I'm going to try. I was lured by another desert this year and move to Saudi Arabia, but you never know. I do have vacation days!
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