Top Ten Adventures On the Playa ‘08
So I am missing my Playa. I am really missing it. This is only my second burn night in the last ten years that I have been anywhere but Black Rock City. It’s hard. But, I am here, an here is really a kind of paradise, no matter how you slice it. Because really, I am the burn.
So, in no particular order, the top ten adventures I had on the playa.
1. Getting my mustache shaped twice in the Barber Shop of DOOM! My friend Santi (Barber of Doom) brought out a barber chair and hot towels and straight razors and shaved my face. I have never had another person shave my face. It is a profound intimacy. It is especially intimate that Santi must at every second suppress the urge to slit my throat with his platinum razor. I even manifested Santi in center camp to give me a a touch up shave shortly before dawn on Wednesday for my flight home. He gave me a Hulk Hogan Mustache, also known as the Enforcer.
2. My walk out to the peak of the trash fence. Monday Night, I wandered out to the deepest playa, along the way stopping and visiting some of the incredible art I encountered like the Tower of Babel (the hilton tower) and the indian encampment. At the peak encountered Wolf, a perimeter interceptor. We watched the moonrise together and had a great conversation.
3. Going to the Hot Springs. For the first time ever, I went to the Hot Springs before the event opened. Although, the springs themselves were just okay, the wild offroad ride with the other Box Office staff was a blast. I’ll have to do that again. Although I am more interested in high speed rolling through the open playa next year.
4. The day long dust storm on Monday. i worked the box that day. It was one of the most intense shifts I have ever worked. White out conditions. Computers going down. Internet failing. People crying. Closing the gate and greeters. Me with a bullhorn working the box. It was a wild day and I took on a lot of energy. It took me until my walk to the trash fence to clear my head.
5. Watching the moonrise every night. I came with the intention of seeing every sunrise. I saw three. But at moonrise every night, I was there. I became acutely aware of the cycle of the moon. It’s so beautiful. When I arrived the moon was full and popped up just after the sun wet down. On my last night, the moon was a tiny sliver and came up shortly before dawn. I felt very close to the moon out there. Mainly because I was becoming a were-tarantula. Beware the next full moon. I’m just saying.
6. Flying out of Burning Man. Yeah, definitely the way to go.
7. Waiting in line to go up to the man, and kind of bumming that there was already a line on Monday night. Then the DPW guard says “is anyone in line Norwegian?” And I, automatically say, “I am Norwegian.” to which he replies “Front of the line, sir.” It’s good to be big and blond I always say.
8. Camp Voodoo Bistro. My camp was the best. Again. Our Voodoo Altar was incredibly effective. We gave food to the gods. we made offerings. We asked favors. I totally summoned Kalla using the altar. I loved being in that energy all week. And then there was my Voodoo Man Doll. That thing turned out so amazing. I was really proud of it. I hope they are burning it right now! And then there was our Campmate Zaragun. He is a 6′ across furry were tarantula. So fucking cool! He really became part of the camp. And the human members of our camp were incredible as well. KT, Brian, Wolfie, Jennie, Scott and Kymber, Steve and Julian, Anastasia (my new pal!), Art (my oldest pal), Rand, Rif, Janneke, Denise, Radhika and all the people who came later… I love you all!
9. Having Dinner with Rob, the guy who designs Black Rock City Every Year. What an honor. The lasson of this year really was that you never know who you are sitting next to. What an incredible guy. I was able to acknowledge hm for all he has done for my life through his city, to which he turned it on me. He thanked me, for without us, there is nothing.
10. Camp Veal. When I went to the Virgin Mobile Festival a few weeks ago, I had this idea that I tossed around with Scotty. About Richard Branson (Virgin) went to burning man every year. We created this whole story. Then I started telling it at Burning Man this year, about this camp that Branson had set up. That he arrived in a silver hot air balloon (there was a takeoff and landing of a hot air ballon). That he was arranging a low altitude fly-over of the Virgin Galactic Spaceplane (this sparked lot of anti-corporate sentiment) and that he camped in a huge silo of RVs far afield with his massive entourage (a comment on the number of massive RVs I saw this year.) I had so much fun dropping this little meme into the consciousness of Black Rock City and I wonder how far it spread. I really wonder. If you heard it independently of me, let me know.
I know there were more. But I gotta go party with my do lab people! Getting present to the great adventures I had sure makes me feel less sad about missing the puppet show tonight.
Tags: Adventure, Black Rock City, Burning Man, camping, playa, Richard Branson, Virgin, Voodoo, voodoo bistro