Burning Man 2008

BM was amazing, overwhelming, enlightening and fun... And yes, like many others we left early and did not see the man burn. But that’s partly because I fell and sprained my ankle Saturday and could not walk. I’m great now, got a walking cast and am getting around with no problem at all. But poor Chris--- he had to pack up the camp in that horrific white out sandstorm all by himself on Saturday— what a trooper, he took such great care of everything! It was really something, you could not see past 20 feet at times and it blew like that for hours.

Everywhere you looked was something new and surprising, naked or semi-naked people, art cars, pirate ships, shark cars, armchairs on wheels, music from every direction, hula hooping and dancing people, bicycles of every shape, height and decoration, classes and workshops— i.e. A book group gathering to talk about Eckart Tolle's A New Earth, a kissing workshop under the Smooch Dome. And some just plain cool community generosity-- snow cones at The Lost Penguin, Open Mike at Welcome, 24/7 performances under the Center Camp Tent in half-hour increments with dozens of couches to sprawl on— but when you sat there’s always a big plume of desert dust explodes under you like Pig Pen from the Peanuts comics. And the acrobats, the Poi dancers, the beautifully skilled movement artisans were all breathtaking.

One of the highlights was participating in The Billion Bunny March, complete with getting “bunnified” (just a pair of ears really. ;) And we marched! People carrying signs like “Down with Humans, they make a better keychain”. “Bunnies deserve more respect.” Then the two carrots marching with us saying “Down with Bunnies, Bunnies are murderers!” It was-- dare I say— freaking hilarious and fun beyond reason.

I hardly took any photos at all. I have a few key things as great visual reminders though. It was somewhat of an endurance event but so glad I went! I wanted to experience more than document. Yeah, next year I will shoot more but this year I just wanted to have a good time and be part of the organic fabric of this alternate universe they have created out there. It’s nothing I have ever seen before and to get the full effect you really have to be there to absorb the energy, which is big, bountiful, rich, sexy and in many ways a gypsy, artisan carnival— all covered in fine dust.