Wake up in the desert
It’s the first morning after our arrival at the dessert.
I open my eyes and go out of the tent quickly, eager to check what is out there.
Endless desert and blue sky. I’m sure the huge golden sun is looking right towards me. Campers and tents. People and bikes everywhere. Morning fuss. Scent of coffee. A man and a woman in similar colorful skirts wave at me when they pass by. It is a real Monday morning in a surreal city in the middle of the dessert. “Hello, fantastic world born from my imagination!”
Our neighbour across the street is lying on a lounge chair, drinking champagne in a crystal glass. He is reading a book and is completely naked. This is Peter.
Couple of hours later we are drinking cold champagne together in front of his camp.
Lose in the desert
Ride your bike and leave the streets of Black Rock City behind you. Continue further through the desert. Don’t look back. Now you are alone. Somewhere near you there are thousands of people but still you are alone. Follow the unknown. Trust your thoughts and feelings.
Maybe there will be a dust storm. You will not see anything in front of you. Possibly you will not be able even to breathe calmly. If you are a faint-hearted girl like me, you will get scared. But you will feel like never before. Because now you are an explorer on a distant planet. The people you will meet and the places you will discover on this planet own a different kind of soul. And you will fall in love with it.
And if you get tired or disoriented during your adventure you will find the perfect shelter somewhere in the dust right when you need it. Trust the magic of the desert.
Sunrise in the desert
Have you ever imagined that you will watch the big red ball rolling up majestically in the sky from the back of a dragon?
The dragon is a huge art car which has just stopped in the middle of the desert. We are surrounded by hundreds of people. Some of them are staring at the red sky. Others are dancing slowly in the sand dressed in beautiful white clothes. Kissing, hugging, laughing, music and after that…silence. Here is the sun. I hold tight Slav’s hand and feel the supernatural power of the moment. I believe that wonders do happen and right now I am a part of them.
Make friends
Prepare to meet many beautiful strangers. Listen to their stories and tell them your story if you feel like it. I believe you will have a deep connection with someone somewhere. Not knowing the stranger’s name, you will remember him or her till the rest of your life. And this will happen naturally. Even if you don’t like to talk to strangers in your everyday life – you will do it in the desert. It happened to me.
Black Rock City is the only place on the Earth where you can be truly you. It doesn’t matter if you are a CEO in a big company or a waitress in the district coffee shop. Nobody cares. We are all the same there. The usual everyday life we are used to disappears and a whole new universe takes its place.
Give away
There is nothing you can sell or buy in Black Rock City, except ice and coffee. You should bring everything you need for one week experience. But you can make presents and give away different things to people. It is amazing how much people love to make presents without expecting anything in return.
We opened a bar in front of our tent to treat people with cocktails. We named it “Wind under my wings”. I’ve always dreamed of working in a bar.
It is our first night of opening. I feel so special and proud. Margarita, Bloody Mary, champagne (from Peter’s luxury reserves)… A couple of drinks and some new friendships later our inspiring customers announce the place for the best bar in the neighbourhood!
A few days later we have plenty of alcohol left. The stock situation needs urgent measures. So we build a mobile bar, borrowing Peter’s wheel, and take off to the desert. This day we serve mainly Pina Colada. I will never forget the dust toasts, the lines in front of our wheel and the song people are singing.
During my burn, I received very precious presents from strangers who I met out there.
I still keep them. I always will.
Fire
During the festival there are a lot of small burns. But there are 2 main burns that literally stop your breath and brake an invisible wall inside you.
The first burn is the Man. It is great, it is huge and it is impressive. But there is much more. It is an epitome of the festival culture, of the principles that all 70000 people in the desert believe in. When the Man burns, it seems like the fire has the strength to cure, energize and empower people. It is like an insane party full of joy and heat.
And then comes the second burn. The temple. The temple is the sacred place where people have left messages and pictures of the beloved ones they have lost. It is a place of sorrow, tears and love. When the temple burns at the last day of the festival it tames all passions. The silence is broken only by sobbing and sighs. You can feel the atmosphere full of compassion and respect of thousands of people around you.