Exodus

Exodus went slowly due to issues on the highway.   Still, many people left just after the temple burn, leaving the city quite empty by morning.

The Burns

I witnessed four major burns.  Each was a unique experience with it's own character.  I don't have many photographs as I rarely brought out my camera.

On Thursday night, they burned the 23 regional effigies arranged in a gigantic circle around the playa.  As the flames lit up the playa, small groups danced and celebrated.

The Trojan Horse was more theatrical.  An army of of soldiers and slaves pulled the enormous horse out on a platform to be burned.  The fire was immense and it was fascinating to see such an incredible structure burn.

When the Man burned it led to the largest party I have ever seen.  It was beyond all preconception.  How do you understand a place where you might see a 30' yacht with a giant party on deck roll by on your left while an elephant call emanates from a giant mastadon skeleton passing you on the right.  

Meanwhile there are tens of thousands of bicycles all zooming around, festooned with flashing lights.  Mutant vehicles have unloaded enormous speakers blaring everything from metal to dubstep.  The mood of the crowd is surreal and exuberant.

On Sunday the temple burned.  The temple was a multi-room, multi-story building inscribed with messages from burners.  When it burned, the tone was somber, with many seated and holding each others hands.

Things I'd Do Differently

The week was a blur of dust and wind and lights and art and wildly dressed people zooming about on bikes and other things.

I had a fantastic time but there are a few things I'd try to do differently.

 

• Get more sleep.  Acclimatization is a bitch.  Between the change in climate, the time zone changes, driving all night and the dust I spent several days barely able to move.
•  Cold weather gear.  I forgot my thermal underwear & balaclava.  That made it hard to stay out late at night when the playa really came alive.
• Splurge on aluminet.  I used plastic tarp & aluminet and the tarp was annoyingly inferior.  Avoid the flapping tarp noise & wind lift - build with aluminet. 
• More solar power.  I used a 30 watt solar panel connected to my auxiliary battery.  I rarely used the car stereo.  By cleaning the panel often and pointing it at the sun I was able to power the fridge for 1 full week.  If I had 45 or 60 watts I could have made the entire event.
• Use a real dust mask.  I had a lot of issues with dusk, even wrapped in a shemag.  Perhaps a painter's dust mask would have been better.
• A spray bottle (or squirt gun) with water and peppermint or eucalyptus oil is refreshing and gives the illusion of cleanliness.