“I see you have a Ukrainian visa.” The border agent had stopped flipping through my passport. “I worked there for two years.” Was I a little anxious? Cress told me he never revealed he was going to Burning Man at the border—in case customs decided to search his vehicle—didn’t all Burners have illegal drugs? I had left home early, wanting to get more than halfway to Nevada on the first day, arriving the next day with enough time to set up in daylight. Online survival guides indicated the following:
Two days later, my first Meteorite Museum shift over, I was riding my bike at midnight, the Burning Man structure visible. I continued past, drawn to the lit Temple in the distance. I had composed a message to my departed mom at the Dear Mom camp earlier in the day. The host had told me I should bring the note to the Temple. The lit structure seemed nearly empty--I was one of the first to arrive after opening. Deciding to return the following day, I snapped 2 pictures, then rode back to camp. E-mailing my blurry pictures, I fictionalized my first night experience to satisfy others’ expectations of what Burning Man was about: Dust & Illusions BRO, Nevada: Amid the art, music, and revelry around creative Art-cars, the Temple was amazing, standing alone in the night. At first, I marvelled at the graceful construction--a wooden cathedral in the desert—so much work to build the Temple and fill the walls with loved ones' wishes before flames transport them skyward when the temple burns, the day after the Burning Man structure. A lucid smear jolted me--the first signs that my drink had been laced by a passerby. I heard someone commenting "Super fucking acid, man." As the lysergic compound tripped in, I left the planet, the temple streaming away below me. As for my actual first days’ experience at Burning Man, I highly recommend Black Rock Observatory: meteorites, space talks and two telescopes, one stellar to watch the sun's corona, sunspots and other plasma action. My shift showing burners meteorites, (Hold em! Moon rock, fantastic) was an experience. Burners were enthused. I went down so many rabbit holes with questions: did I believe in extra-terrestrials, we finally packed up after midnight. In between the music and arts of our ‘festival’, there were Space Talks! part 3: my burn ExperienceWanting to see the Temple in daylight, I started off on my bike the next afternoon, the site map showing me how to get there (I thought). Several turns later in midday desert sun, I was riding past a very comfortable shaded row of rocking chairs lining the front of a saloon bar. Recognizing music that didn’t THUMP (untech for a change), I parked near the bar counter.
The bartender was watching me. “Won’t you try our saloon doors?” How did I not notice the slat doors swinging on posts--no walls. I backtracked and made my entrance to cheers, got a craft beer, then listened to a man called Jerry ask for some country. “Alright!” He turned towards me, nodding as though he owned the bar (he did). I swung through the doors, dropping down on a rocker right beside the noisy sprung doors. The beer was half-gone on my first ‘sip’. Watching bikes pass by gave me all sorts of impressions: younger burners’ bums, if visible, were often red, unique costumes, or completely covered up (like myself). A naked dark-skinned man rolled by -one of maybe 3 people I saw at the Burn (excluding my session at the foam shower camp). As I watched more bicycles approach, the doors swung open and someone half fell out, the strong saloon springs doors holding him back, then releasing forward, pushing him out with his tipped glass. He collapsed in the chair across from me, half shaded. but he had a. Regarding his drink, he righted his broad hat, then “Scheisse” under his breath. He looked up, smiling; he’d saved some of his beer. Was he German? “Yunno . . .”—he tipped his glass, swallowing. I waited. I'm afraid you'll have to wait, too. Will finish after my Nov 7 launch.
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AuthorPeter J. Meehan is the author of Return to Pamplona (available through FriesenPress) and That Weekend in Albania! Check back for more blog posts soon! ArchivesCategories |