Burning Man

2003 - I just got back from Burning Man... an "out of this world" experience. I have never seen anything like this in my whole life... a most extreme, unimaginable visual stimulation that amaze and awe the observer in regards to the potential of human artistic creativity that is only enhanced at night when lights, music, costumes and celebration engulf an isolated, stark desert between two mountain ranges in the middle of nowhere made even harsher by occasional bouts of sandstorms that seem to arise spontaneously and without warning.

WATER,
Spray bottle

SURVIVAL/ CAMPING
Dust mask
Flashlights and batteries
Hand towel
Hats, 2
Headlight
Lawn chair
Pillow
Portable shower
Rope, string, bungee cord
Rugs
Sheet
Sleeping bag
Sunglass, goggles
Tape
Tarp, shade
Tent
Towel

TOILETRIES
Antibiotic
Bandaids
Condom
Earplugs
Ear mutts
Goggles
Hair dye
Hair Gloss
Hair Spray
Handy wipes
Lotion
Mouth freshner
Nail clip
Shampoo
Soap
Sunglasss
Sunscreen, plus makeup
Toothbrush
Toothpaste

MISC
Address of RV pickup
Bicycle and lock
Binoculars
Camera and film
Checkbook
Credit cards
Garbage bags
Insurance papers
Maps
Money
Plastic bags

UTENSILS
Can opener
Cups
Forks
Knives
Paper towels
Plates
Spoon

FOOD/fruits
Apples
Kiwi
Lemon juice
Oranges
Plum

FOOD/vegetable
V8 juice
Tomato
Cucumber

FOOD/protein
Cooked eggs
Tofu
Tuna cans

FOOD/canned
Garbanzo
Fava

FOOD/misc
bread
Mint
Olive oil
Stevia
Tea, licorice


CLOTHING/low
Sandals
Sneakers
Boots
Socks
Underwear
Long pants
Shorts
Bathing suit
Black sexy underwear, 2

CLOTHING/upper
Long sleeve shirt
T shirt
Muscle shirt
Raincoat

MEDS
vitamin E
Fish oil
Inderal
Mush?
Naproxyn



costume
Chain mail belt
Chain mail headpiece
Hair piece
Necklaces
Wrist band

LIGHTS

Other Trips
Cruise
Alaska

Just another Burning Man, really. Sort of pedestrian, all this
astounding otherworldliness, this sense of entering another planet, of
stepping out of reality as you know it an into a place where anything
goes and usually does and no one really thinks much of it except that
it's usually pretty relaxed and ridiculous and surreal and friendly and
half naked and grinning.

Because you can't explain Burning Man to your parents and you can't
explain it to the religiously terrified and you can't describe it to
those who, no matter what you say, refuse to see such events as anything
other than some sort of freaky-deaky druggie Grateful Dead-esque
Satan-worshipping sex-romp thing, one that they pray their kids never
get sucked into lest they become kinky beautiful liberal atheists who
like anal sex and weird art and vodka shots and open-mouthed laughter.


OK look. Burning Man is not an orgy. It's not a sweetly blasphemous
pagan love-fest. It's not a giant drunken drug-addled overly hot
week-long rave party with lots of beer and margaritas and bikes and
exposed nipples and unshowered flesh and flashing shiny things and dust
and crazy nouveau idealistic neo-hippies and breathtaking starlight. Not
solely, anyway.

What Burning Man is, really, is 30,000 people who erect this bizarre gorgeous
temporary fully functional art-filled dust-drunk city in the middle of
nowhere sans money sans phones sans work sans rules and tear it all down
a week later, and that, in effect, is what makes it so gorgeous and
strange.