The Burning Man Experience. Black Rock City, Nevada, United States.
From the dusty horizon we cycled closer and closer anticipating the abundance of random, interesting art and people we would meet – only to be greeted with another horizon full of colourful lights and distant music.
You create an image, even an expectation of what your first night will be like but it never amounts to the reality or rather the non-reality of it all. When the sun starts to retreat back behind the mountains, and dusk sets upon the barren land and you are transported to another world – the vibrant pastel pinks hover in the sky and despite the thousands of people swarming around you. Despite the fact you are miles away from any civilization, and you are completely self reliant in the middle of the desert with no money to buy your way out of hunger or thirst – a beautiful calmness overtakes you and you are immersed in a sense of awe and love for this mystical place. Lights start to gleam ahead of you, almost like a mirage of colour that you will try, but never be able to reach.
It’s quite overwhelming so you set off on your journey to scratch the surface of what the next ten days have to offer. Ensuring your bike is covered in head to toe of led lights (a must in the playa to be seen with only star lights guiding you,) the ground is completely flat which makes it a breeze to cycle wherever your heart takes you. Feeling the wind upon your face make you feel so alive.
There’s too many possibilities for your first night. You may come across the phone to God and get stuck conversing to the man/woman on the other end for hours, or you may find yourself lost in the maze beneath ‘The Burning Man’, you may find yourself at the temple remembering a loved one, or an art installation 2 stories high shooting out fire. We found ourselves in the ‘deep playa’ surrounded by nothing for miles but a build up of art cars and fellow like minded burners. Of course you get lost in a trance to the rhythmic sounds that project over the plains of dust, and despite the huge – mind boggling day you’ve just encountered, somehow your feet keeping dancing and the smile still shines bright under your home made dust mask.
Soon enough the sun slowly comes out from hiding and again the pastel colours emerge but this time they consist of bright oranges and reds, it’s very humbling to experience Mother Nature in her most purest form – no polluting city lights, nothing stopping you from being fully under her presence. You take a moment to appreciate everything around, resting your feet and cuddling up with your newfound friends and basking in the warm sun rays. Everyone is happy, no one has a worry in the world – and that is Burning Man.
– Amy Henson
